Give her a customized flower pot by writing her name on the pot, the grade she teaches and a little message like "You're My Inspiration," "Greatest Teacher" or "You're the Best." Cover it with a glossy glaze, and fill it with forget-me-not flowers. You can switch it up a little bit if you know the teacher's favorite flowers or plant.
You can buy or make her a bouquet of cookies to stash in her desk or share with other teachers. Use cookie cutters shaped like apples, stars, flowers, hearts, pencils and books to cut sugar cookie dough. After they are baked, insert different length wooden dowels in them to serve as stems. Decorate each cookie, artfully arrange them and tie together with a ribbon to complete the gift. She is sure to appreciate the time you and your child spent creating art for her.
Fill a glass jar with chocolate candies wrapped in inspirational quotes like Henri Frederic Amiel's, "To know how to suggest is the great art of teaching." Or James Howell's, "We learn by teaching." Put an apple magnet on the metal lid of the jar, and cover the jar. You can also paint the quotes on the jar and substitute trail mix for the chocolate.
Create a teacher's survival kit for her. Fill a pencil box with aspirin, ear plugs, chocolate, Band-Aids, cinnamon toothpicks and pumpkin seeds. Place it in a tote with her name on it, along with a water bottle and flavored water packages.
Buy a small wooden box, and have your child write "Thank You" on it. Place pencils, a ruler, hard candy, markers and a miniature glass figurine in the box. The figurine should be something that reminds your child of her teacher. For example, a swan because she glides around the room. You can get relatively cheap glass figurines at most discount stores. Don't forget to have your child write a note thanking her teacher for being great. You should jot a short note, too.
Spend less than $10 and buy her a coffee mug that has been covered with an erasable finish, a box of colored chalk and a variety of tea. Several online retailers sell chalkboard mugs for around $3--as of 2010. Attach a note thanking her for being a great female role model. If you would prefer to make a chalk board mug, all you have to do is prime the mug before painting two layers of chalkboard paint on it. Don't forget to set it up by rubbing chalk all over it, then wiping all the chalk off.