Dear Teachers,

To the people who tormented me with endless hours of homework and studying, thank you. To the people who made school tolerable on the days I thought I couldn’t make it, thank you. To the people who were always there day after day with hugs, high-fives and “hellos,” thank you. There are so many words left unsaid that I wish I would have told you when I spent countless hours sitting in your classroom.

To me, you were more than just a teacher. I am proud to call you another parent, friend and a hero. I could trust you with my secrets, check my homework, give me advice, wipe away my tears, and be my main motivator in and out of school. I wish I could do and say more than just “thank you.” You have shaped me into the person I am today. I have counted on you every day for the last four years of my life, and you have never failed to deliver.

Being a teacher is never an easy feat. Spending your own time outside of the classroom to make time in the classroom enjoyable. And even when you put others’ needs before your own, you still somehow made me feel like I was the top priority. It’s quite honestly a superpower.

A teacher isn’t someone who just stands at the front of an audience, talking mindlessly about a subject matter. A teacher is someone who listens. From the endless boy drama to the latest trailer of a new Marvel movie, you were there to listen, even if you didn’t understand. But, yet, you never judged, and I am thankful for every conversation you intently listened to.

Please know of the impact you have had in each and every one of your students. You didn’t just teach us of things from your lesson plans but of important life lessons. I think of you when something exciting happens in my life because I want to see your reaction. When I hear of something we talked about, I think of you. I will bring you and all of our memories to next chapter of my life and beyond.

So for all of this and so much more, thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for me. You were never “just my teacher,” and sometimes, you were the only thing that would make me even want to go school. I hope I make you proud when I make the walk to get my diploma.

Love,

A Grateful Student