i'll second the note - grateful parents are a wonderful thing.
but the thing that my mum (the most amazing teacher i've ever met) always loved best was anything made by the student that reflected an area of the student's genuine interest. over the years, she received handmade cookbooks full of recipes kids wanted to share with her, elaborate portraits of her (hilarious and charming!) and stories written just for her - years after retiring, she still has a moisture-proof box of these items in the basement.
