Helping you to say, “Thanks, Teacher!” If you’re pressed for time, here are over 50 of the best short and thoughtful thank-you notes your teacher will love to receive from you. If you’d prefer to write your own note, which I recommend doing, then create your own letter utilizing these example notes as inspiration points.
Find the thank-you note cheat sheet near the end of this article. It’ll make it easier to write original thank you notes for teachers from parents and students.
Express your gratitude for all that your teacher does, with a heartfelt handwritten thank-you note — if your teacher is retiring, don’t wait until the end of the school year or Teacher Appreciation Day!
Good teachers help guide us to develop our potentials and embrace our strengths.
Express your gratitude for your teacher with a heartfelt thank-you note, and maybe give them an inexpensive yet thoughtful gift to show your appreciation, too.
When it comes to expressing your appreciation to teachers, here’s the drill: if the words don’t come easily, stop and think of one specific thing you can appreciate about him or her.
It could be the smallest thing. Any thing.
If nothing comes, no worries: this page is full of simple, effective, straight-from-the-heart actions and handwritten notes that will convey your appreciation to your teacher, maybe better than you can.
Let’s begin with some letter-starters for the parents of elementary-school-aged students.
Let’s model the habit of appreciation early:
1. “We both thank you for the important role you play in shaping our child into the respectable young adult they are quickly becoming. Please know that we recognize your positive influence and moral guidance, and we value the example you impart to our child.”
2. “Dear Gregory, thank you for being such a fantastic teacher. Lionel had a terrific experience in your class and from what I could observe when I volunteered on Fridays, I can see why. You have such enthusiasm and patience with the kids. I don’t know how you’re able to keep it up! Hope you have a great summer!”
3. “Dear Teacher, my partner and I realize that teaching is a often a thankless job, and we see how you pour your heart and soul into daily lessons. Your passion for your students is inspiring to us as parents. Don’t think that because you don’t hear the words ‘thank you’ every day, that we are not grateful for you.”
4. “With students like yours (our son, ha), being a teacher cannot be easy. Teaching is certainly a Calling, and requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice. You doubtless stay awake at night worrying about the students in your class at the expense of your personal time. We thank you sincerely for caring so much about our kids, to graduation and beyond.”
5. “Dear Mr. Teacher, the hours you spent during and after class giving Jim individual attention to ensure he grasped the material, went above and beyond today’s expectations. Thank you for your patience, and for your empathy when it took Jim longer than others to grasp the concepts.”
6. “Our respect and admiration for you as our daughter’s drama teacher cannot be expressed in words. You have a tangible effect on the lives of the students in your class, and they will remember you for many years to come. Thank you for creating a space for our children to be themselves, and for being a positive example in their lives.”
7. “We’ve seen the change in Stacey this year, and we wish to thank you for all you have done allow her mind and spirit to grow this year/semester. You are a truly amazing teacher who makes a difference in children’s lives every day.”
8. “Hello Teacher, Thank you for teaching our daughter how to study the smart way. She has struggled and stressed about taking tests throughout her formative years, and finally, your method is working. Her test scores have improved, not only in your class but in all her classes! The time you have invested in her will change the course of her life. Thank you. Best Regards, Me.”
9. “As you are aware, last semester was a difficult one for our child. We thank you for inquiring and assisting our son when you could see that he was struggling, even though you had many other students in your class to supervise. It really means a lot that you cared.”
10. Thank you for believing in our daughter’s dreams. As a teacher, you have provided our child with the nurturing space and material resources to plan a strategy to make her dreams possible. This is a gift that only a special person such as you could have given. Thank you.”
11. “We are writing to thank you for the astounding job you provide our children. Young people are not always easy to handle, but your patience and firmness have made a huge difference and we thank you for establishing healthy boundaries and creating an environment of trust.”
12. “Thank you, Teacher! You give the best of yourself to see others advance. We’re so grateful our child is in your class and has the good fortune of having you as her teacher. Thank you.”
Thank you for helping to make kindergarten such a positive experience for Billy. With all of your patience, creativity, and love, Billy has achieved a lot this year. He has started off on the right foot by having you as his teacher.
Thank you, Beatrice. You have made a great difference for all of our children. Because you care so much about them, you have directed them to trust themselves in all that they do and to become all that they dream.
With sincerest appreciation,
Dear Coach Jackson,
We want to express our thanks for making our son, Tim Findley, feel a part of the volleyball team this year. If you recall, Tim transferred into the district in late October just after you had officially ended try-outs. You agreed to make an exception and let him try-out for the team the following week, and fortunately, you selected him for the starting line-up. That exception, in itself, could have created jealousies among other students.
We, as well as Tim, feared that might be the case. But as the season began, you planned some very important team-building, “bonding” experiences for the boys as you traveled to various tournaments to scout the opposition. Those trips especially gave the team members a chance to get to know Tim quickly one on one off the court. Those opportunities made the transition much easier for him in the new school.
And by the way, I might add that his grades have reflected a comfortable adjustment as well.
As you may have guessed, changing schools in the middle of the year is never a good situation for any student, but for an athlete, it can be disastrous. Such was not the case for Tim this year, thanks to you . We do appreciate your constant encouragement, your competent coaching, and your efforts to see that the college scouts take a look at your athletes. What more could parents ask?
Bruce has been taking swim lessons for three years, but it wasn’t until he enrolled in your class that he finally conquered his fear of water. I really appreciate your being so patient with him and working so hard to boost his confidence. The additional instruction you gave him after class really made a difference. Bruce is already looking forward to taking your Level 4 class next summer.
We so much appreciate the special attention you have given to Kelly while he has been hospitalized off and on throughout the year. As you know, such extended absences can play havoc with a child’s relationships with other students, and you have been particularly sensitive to making Kelly feel a part of the group when he was able to be in class.
Specifically, I want to thank you for the several occasions when you gave the other children time to make cards and write notes to Kelly. Not only were you teaching your fourth-graders writing skills, you were teaching them to care about other people. That, I’m sure, is a direct reflection of your own personal commitment to your students.
And what a wonderful idea to record their class parties and special days to send home for Kelly. Although he sometimes watched through tears of disappointment that he could not be part of the festivities, those tapes kept him in touch with his friends during a very difficult time.
I’m sure teachers hear complaints from time to time, but I wanted you to know that we in our household and neighbourhood are certainly singing your praises. Thank you so much for your dedication.
Dear Mr. Thompson,
When I first saw you walk into our classroom, I saw the kind of person I was proud to call my teacher.
Every day you came to school with a smile on your face and a kind word for all of your students. That means a lot.
Your love of learning ignited our own curiosity and made learning much more fun! You taught us all to appreciate clarity of mind through proper writing form and how to pay attention to the bigger picture.
You will never know how much your guidance has helped me, but I wanted you to know that you have made a big difference in my life.
My thanks always,
Dear _____,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for being such a wonderful teacher. In your class I learned _________________.
You are very special because __________________________. I will always remember ___________________.
One day I know I’ll look back and remember ______________________. You will always have a special fan … that’s me!
Sincerely,
Steve
As teachers go
You are the best.
You shine above
All the rest.
So accept my thanks
For all you do
I’m very lucky
As my Teacher is you.
How can I thank you?
Let me count the ways.
Thank you for the 200
very special days!
An apple for our teacher
Would never be enough,
For teaching us about the world
And lots of other stuff.
Make a list of all that your teacher taught you and/or what you learned through your teacher’s example. Make a book or scroll letter that lists them: “FORTY THINGS I LEARNED FROM MR. SCOTCH”.
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An apple works, or paying attention in class also provides a teacher with a special tingly feeling.
Give your teacher something practical and thoughtful — a simple lined journal with a funny cover on the front [affiliate amazon link] will bring a smile to your fav teacher’s face. Write a special note on the inside cover, perhaps.
If you have a few teachers on your list, a more frugal option is to buy a stack of blank thank-you notes [affiliate amazon link] and write each teacher a personalized message. Also appreciated.
Make the thankless work of teaching a little less thankless.
A hand-written thank-you note to your teacher at the end of the term is the best time for parents and children to extend their appreciation for what invaluable service the teacher has provided over the school year.
Teachers and teaching assistants spend a substantial amount of time with their class and have a profound influence on students, not only imparting curriculum knowledge, but teaching civility and morality as well.
That’s an Affirmative, folks. Despite Teacher wish-lists reflecting ever-shrinking district budgets and resources, asking for all kinds of classroom supplies and things for extra-curricular activities, your teacher wants to be appreciated, and to hear about it. From you.
So yes, still, in this century even, teachers continue to extol the virtues of a good old-fashioned thank-you note. [source: How to Thank a Teacher., George Lucas Educational Foundation ]
So give your teacher what they want. Or, if a teacher has gone the extra mile for you and others, nominate them for an award.
When writing a thank-you note to a teacher, don’t stress — keep the note short and sweet, but express your gratitude with sincerity. A heartfelt note means a lot to a teacher, and validates their efforts in class to effect positive change or to beneficially influence the lives of their students.
It’s so easy to get stuck trying to compose the perfect thank-you note for your teacher, but it’s more important to simply get something written down. Yes, words are necessary and important, but your gratitude shines through in the act of handing the note over, too. A poll asking teachers what gifts they appreciate most reveals that many teachers continue to extol the virtues of a good old-fashioned thank-you note.
Many days, that’s all we need — to connect.
You’ll find great pleasure in being the one to reach out and thank someone first, and know that years later, your teacher will find your note in an old dusty box of keepsakes, and know that it was all worth it.
I like to climb mountains, read Nietzsche, and explore the West Coast. I have a BA from York University (2003) in Toronto, Canada, and yet on this site I sometimes spell like an American (know your audience). Thank you. Thank you very much.
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