I have waited until the major holidays have passed before giving you the results from my December 2023 poll on "Gifts for Students: Yes or No." I didn't want to influence private music instructors, in either direction, during the gift giving season.
This poll included teachers from the United States of America and Canada. Teachers that are local to me, and teachers from private piano teacher face book forums, were polled. I have listed some of the comments left by teachers in each corresponding section. There didn't seem to be a grey area in this poll. Teachers were either strongly for giving, or strongly against giving, anything to a student.
I requested that teachers, who chose to respond to the poll, give their location and their gender. They were also given space to leave a comment. Some of the comments were quite strong. The poll was taken near the Christmas holiday in 2023 and many teachers were feeling stretched from a very busy season. And knowing their responses would be anonymous, I believe the option to take this poll might have been therapeutic for some of these teachers. Teaching private music lessons can be alienating for some teachers. Teachers often work out of their homes or through a single teacher studio. Some may not have other teachers near with whom they feel safe enough to discuss their business frustrations.
If you were one of the teachers who participated in this poll, THANK YOU! Some of you have contacted me with your eagerness to read this poll's outcome. Thank you for your patience.
Gifts was clarified as "anything" given. The gift could be as small as a sticker or piece of candy, or something more substantial.
269 private teachers participated from Maine to California. The majority of these teachers were from piano focused studios. 234 private teachers selected female as their gender; 35 private teachers selected male as their gender.
Female private music teachers who CHOOSE TO give gifts to their students:
138 female private music instructors responded as giving gifts to their students at the holidays.
The majority of these gift givers teach in the Midwest States, Plains States, California, and Canada.
Comments:
+I grow plants as a hobby so they get a little baby plant each year.
+My students love getting a little something.
+Always a win!
+I'm a baker. I send out a form and ask parents what the child can eat and then make them treats.
+I have a lot of students so I bake nut free and gluten free cookies for them.
+I like giving and receiving. I still have every drawing every child gave me.
+I have a college student who has a small Christmas tree with gifts on it I gave to her since she was 6.
+I'm a crafter so I enjoy making student gifts.
+To be honest, I love how excited the kids get when I give them something.
+Yes. My piano teacher gave us gifts. I still have all the fun little trinkets. It's my way of continuing the love.
+Parents pay me an extra fee for my studio every year and I buy the gifts with part of that.
Female private music teachers who CHOOSE NOT to give gifts to their students:
96 female private music instructors responded as not giving gifts to their students at the holidays.
The majority of these non-gift givers teach in Utah, Oregon, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Comments:
-No. I never got anything from my teacher.
-It never occurred to me to give them anything.
-No. I don't like getting junk either. I usually throw what parents give me in the trash, unless it's money.
-They don't say thank you, so I quit.
-They don't care about getting trinkets and stickers.
-I budget for myself, not for my students.
-Who has time for giving to students. They should be giving to us! Waste of my hard earned money.
-No. But if their family gives me a gift I will give the child a piece of candy.
-Kids are already getting too much today. They don't need more junk from their teachers.
-Too stressful to have to think about gifts for students. If they are in a recital they get to take home their name in a printed program. That is plenty.
-They need to give US gifts!
-Lessons is all I give. Gifts, recitals, certificates, memberships in professional organizations, are all a waste of a teacher's income.
-I don't, and I don't know any private teachers who do.
-My students come from extremely affluent areas. They don't need anything.
-I only had one student who gave me a gift last year. Why would I want to give them gifts?
-No, not my thing.
-The teacher is the one who gets the gift, not the student!
Male private music teachers who CHOOSE TO give gifts to their students:
6 male private music teachers responded as giving gifts to their students at the holidays.
These gift giving instructors teach in Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina.
Comments:
+I do but it's out of guilt. I don't feel right when parents give me a gift and I haven't given anything.
+Yes, just to keep lessons fun and rewarding!
+I like putting together little treat bags for my students.
+I give out little stuffed animals. They can choose who they want to take home.
Male private music teachers who CHOOSE NOT to give gifts to their students:
29 male private music teachers responded as not giving gifts to their private music students at the holidays.
These non-gift giving instructors teach in the Northeastern United States, South Carolina, and Georgia.
-Not worth it to give to kids.
-My lesson time I give is plenty.
-No need for gifts, stickers, or certificates.
-No, but I get a lot of gifts from almost all my students.
-Are you serious?
-Their parents give me really nice stuff but no. Heck I don't even buy stuff for my family.
-Pfft. I must have missed that memo.
I moved to Charleston, South Carolina twenty years ago. Private music instructors in this area do not choose to give to their students and most feel strongly that it should only be the teacher who receives.
Although it wasn't asked in this poll, comments (outside of this polls intent) reflected that more gifts are given to male teachers, than to female teachers, from student families.
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