I went to an interesting event yesterday. Some of my high school classmates, and those of other classes, honored a teacher who had dies recently by collecting money and dedicating a bench to his memory and legacy. It was a wonderful affair, attended by about 20 people and followed by some reminiscing at a nearby establishment.
Which led me to thinking that people should do this much more for their teachers, and I am and am not saying this just because I'm a teacher. I am saying it because I know how much time, energy, care, and dedication teachers devote to their craft and their students. I'm not saying it just because I'm a teacher because I think it should be regular practice to thank and to honor anyone who's done something that's impacted your life. We say thank you to service members, and rightly so.
It's time for everyone to thank their teachers.
You don't have to fund a bench, or anything physical, but it would be a nice gesture. So would establishing a scholarship or naming a room, area or award for them. Be creative and make it a lasting gesture. More than that, though, write your teachers letters or send them private messages on social media. You don't have to make it public, just heartfelt.
I'll let you in on something that's perhaps a secret: Teachers adore, love, and live for hearing from their students. We see you at your most vulnerable ages, and at those times when you might be awkward, unsure of yourself, embarrassed, afraid to speak out or sure that we might not like you. I can say with certainty that we want to see and hear about how much you've grown, how you've overcome that obstacle, how you discovered a truth because of what you did in our class, or just how you're living your life.
Honestly, we do.
And don't fret about that time in class when you, you know, and you think that's how we define you. We don't. We saw you as the future and we ant to hear from you in the present.
Pick one of your teachers. Let them know how you're doing. Thank them for any contribution they made to your life. You will make somebody happy.
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Way too seldom I get a note or small gift from a former student thanking me for good times in class, learning, fun, a recommendation letter, understanding, or just being there. For those truly committed, it's a very emotional job with little gratitude, but I savor these instances.
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