How do you thank a teacher who has positively impacted your life?
When it comes to thanking our teachers, it feels like no amount of words can truly capture the extent of our gratitude.
And after an overwhelming and uncertain year, our teachers deserve to be recognized for their incredible work and commitment, more than ever.
But when it comes to showing our teachers how much we care, it can be a challenge trying to find the perfect gift or the right words. After all, when a teacher helps your child to learn how to read, giving them a regular coffee mug just doesn’t seem to cut it.
Ideally, we want a teacher appreciation gift to feel personalized and specific, something that reflects their personality or interests. But at the same time, we want a teacher appreciation gift to be respectful of boundaries. In many ways, finding a thank you gift for a teacher is similar to selecting gifts for coworkers and managers. The gift should be something that’s practical, professional, and specific to them.
So whether you’re trying to write a thank you note or select a meaningful gift, here’s a guide on how to express your appreciation to a teacher.
Writing a thank you note to a teacher
When it comes to writing a thank you note to a teacher, it can seem a little intimidating at first. Will they judge my grammar and vocabulary? Will they think this is too honest and personal? But try to remind yourself that your teacher is only human (and not grading everything they read :)) and that everyone likes getting a thank you card and reading nice things about them.
Taking a cue from this New York Times article on how to write gratitude letters, start your writing process by brainstorming and coming up with specific and memorable examples, in which your teacher went above and beyond, or a simple act that made your day better.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to write an entire essay, just think of at least one or two concrete examples .
Here are some questions to help you brainstorm:
- Did the teacher go out of their way to help your child? How did it make you and your child feel?
- Did they give encouraging words after an exam or paper?
- Did they recommend a book that really impacted you?
- Did they show up for you during a time that was particularly challenging?
These are just prompts to help you recall the specific moments where your teacher may have positively contributed to your life or your child’s.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to write the perfect, articulate thank you note. You don’t have to channel Jane Austen and try to write a witty and charming missive. Just try to be honest and speak from the heart. When you write from a genuine place, your words will resonate with the recipient.
How to pick the right thank you card for a teacher
Next, you’ll want to pick a lovely card for your note. You could always express your gratitude over email, but the message will carry more meaning when it’s written on an actual card. In this age of emails and texts, your teacher will feel so touched that you went that extra step.
Even the simple act of opening a thank you card can feel meaningful. From holding the beautifully tailored, high quality envelope in your hand, to opening and revealing the ornate and stunning design, a thank you can feel like a special experience in and of itself.
Here are some beautiful thank you card options:
Deco Wreath Thank You Card. With its scalloped edges and glamorous gold foil and navy envelope, this Art Deco card is worthy of being displayed. Any teacher would be so touched and delighted to receive this card and proudly keep it on their desk at school or at home.
Summer Leaves Thank You Card. The gold foil detailing on this card will make your thank you note look that much more refined and special, and make your teacher feel so moved by your kind words.
Rose Gold Thank You Set. Your recipient will be thrilled to open this card and discover a stunning detailed rose gold design. Even better, each set comes with 8 cards, so you can go ahead and write thank you cards for all the wonderful teachers and people in your life.
If you’re nervous about penmanship or ink issues when writing in your card, try doing a practice run on a scrap piece of paper first.
And if you’d like to add a thoughtful gift to your thank you gift, you can’t go wrong with any of these options.
Founder’s Notebook. With its stunning, high quality cover and pages, this notebook will definitely be a hit. It’s so beautiful that your recipient will want to proudly display it at their desk, and it’s light enough that they can bring it with them, wherever they go. Your recipient can use this to brainstorm lesson plans, capture notes during meetings, journaling, and more.
Today Organizer Pad. Teachers have a lot to accomplish over the course of a day, and often rely on their own systems and tools to get things done. Help make their days a little easier with our Organizer Pad. It features hourly time blocks so your teacher can schedule classes, parent teacher meetings, tasks, and more. And it even includes a checklist to help them manage their daily tasks and priorities.
Target gift card. This way, your teacher has the option to pick out their own coffee mug. :)
Chocolate care package. Sweeten your teacher’s day with this comforting care package, which includes cookies, hot cocoa, and chocolate .
Fountain pens. This colorful Lamy Safari pen would certainly brighten your teacher’s day. It’s our bestseller and for good reason. It has a fine steel nib which means it’s perfect for everyday writing--something your teacher will definitely appreciate. Plus, its sleek and elegant design makes it an elevated upgrade to the everyday office pen.
