What To Bring Students To Show My Appreciation?

[Pianote]

I really like my new school- the students and my colleagues. I would like to bring the students something like cupcakes... just something to show  that I like them and I care. I teach hundreds of students a week. 

 

What can I bring show my appreciation?

[Lu]

A nice pen? Something along those lines? I'd suggest to bake something, but perhaps not if it's for hundreds of students.

[anonymoose]

How about cupcakes?

[somethingfunny]

If it's hundreds, then pens for everyone doesn't sound too good either.

 

Anyway, they should be giving you presents!  Your gift to them is knowledge.

[Shelley]

16 hours ago, Pianote said:

What can I bring show my appreciation!

What are you good at? Do you do any crafts, calligraphy, do you sing well etc? For example if you sing well you could sing a song of thanks and appreciation to hundreds of students at a time or make each one something quick and simple a bookmark with a couplet or so on it. Depends on your skills.

If your main skill is teaching, then just carry on teaching them well and tell everyone that you really like the environment and the people. Show your appreciation by being the best teacher you can be.

 

How long have you been there? I think presents are something to be given after a reasonably long time there. If its only been a few weeks it could just be the novelty of everything and the shine may go off things.

Also at this early (assuming its early) stage it might seem a bit ingratiating. I have no idea of your experience with chinese gift giving but it might be worth looking up the usual customs and practicalities.

I commend your aims but it might be worth just sitting back and seeing how it all goes.

 

 

[889]

No, certainly not at this point, since it sets up an obligation for them to band together and do something for you.

 

[vellocet]

Don't give gifts.  They create an obligation on the recipient to give you a gift in return.  Students' lives are already difficult enough, don't give them a problem like that.  

[Flickserve]

6 hours ago, Shelley said:

 

If your main skill is teaching, then just carry on teaching them well and tell the everyine that you really like the environment and the people. Show your appreciation by being the best teacher you can be

 

This.

 

And give encouragement to their efforts.

[roddy]

Tell them you're enjoying teaching them and say if they keep up the good performance there'll be a Christmas surprise for them. At Christmas dress up as Santa and hand out White Rabbit candy while singing a song. Kindergarten to post-docs, guaranteed win. If you don't celebrate Christmas, do it anyway. They won't care. 

[Tomsima]

this thread is so wholesome I love it. in my experience the best present you can give a whole class of students is an extra free 'fun/themed' class where you do something they will never find in a textbook. i once had an amazing group of students who were kind of 風狂英語 if you know what I mean. when they finished 高考 I brought out a book of improvisational skits (I had bought it with me from the UK on the off chance it would help ESL classes…who could have known getting Chinese students to even say "just so so" out loud would be difficult enough). anyway, they loved it and we all partied out in the common room at the school, using their English to act stupid and make each laugh. good memories