I have been teaching for 20+ years but fortunately the last 14 have been high school only so I get very few presents.

My favorite gift was a little hand painted ornament made by a third grader - I had him again as a senior - he ended up being a phenomenal artist.

I would also suggest staying away from any homemade food items - most teachers I know won't eat it unless they know the kitchen it came from.

Suggested giving for teachers
I don't know what price range you are looking but here are some suggestions

Elementary teachers:
Stamp and ink pad
Congratulatory stickers
Bib type apron

any teacher:
movie rental certificates
I've known class mothers to take collections and get 1 big certificate for a restaurant.
Movie tickets (we can get discount tickets through our credit unions)
flavored coffees or teas
certificate to a "teacher aid" store if there is one locally
Staples or Office max certificates.
Book store certificate (or amazon.com credit)


Hope this helps someone out