The best gift ideas for a teacher (or yourself)!

In this post about great (and not-so-great) gifts for teachers, I hope I don't sound ungrateful. Teaching can be a really thankless job and anytime a family or student shows their appreciation it's lovely. But over the years I've had some gifts that I held on to, even when moving overseas, and some that were regifted.

Comment below with your stories of the best and worst gifts you've received.

The best gift I got as a teacher was a scarf. It sounds simple, but it is versatile and useful. Being one-size-fits-all you can't really go wrong. I keep it at school for chilly days and I still remember the student and her family who gave it to me years ago. I think people have the same idea about a mug - useful, can't go wrong - but most staff rooms I've been in are bursting with mugs given as gifts.

The main presents I've given away were baked goods that weren't gluten free. I love the effort and thought of giving homemade treats, but it is risky with people's allergies. The worst gift ever was given to a colleague of mine many years ago: sexy lingerie. 'Nuff said!

So here are my suggestions for gifts teachers really appreciate:

• Their favourite food or beverage (ask, don't assume)

• Accessories (scarf, tie, socks, necklace) that match their style

• Experiences like Gold Class movie tickets or a massage

• Gift voucher*

*Remember, though, that teachers must declare gifts above a certain value (it's >$100 in Victoria). This doesn't mean the teacher will lose the gift, it's just extra faff at an already busy time of the year.

If you need to drop some hints, leave a printout of this post around. ;P

It's always a relief to get to the end of the year, but most of us can't slow down yet because there are holidays, family and travel looming. Therefore, once you have a chance to breathe, it's important to give yourself an end-of-year gift too.

I suggest:

• Self-care - whatever that looks like for you, read this post for ideas

• Spend at least a few weeks without going near work, even if it means adjusting your route to the grocery store

• Turn off notifications for work messages (unless you are the legal guardian/emergency contact), read about the right to disconnect here

• Set up some good habits or recovery processes for next year, like booking a coach or mentor :)

Happy Holidays!