The Best Teacher Appreciation I Ever Received

The Best Teacher Appreciation I Ever Received

May 06,2025 by Katie Travis |Leave a Comment

When I was a teacher, my all-time favorite tokens of appreciation weren’t the usual coffee mugs or snack packs. And while the pack of Wrigley’s Extra gum from admin for being "extra special" was cute, it didn’t come close to what really meant the most.

It was always the handwritten notes from my students.

Often just scribbled on a Post-It and handed to me on their way out the door, these heartfelt little messages meant everything. In a few lines, they reminded me why I taught—and why I cared so deeply about doing it well.

Why It Mattered

Those notes were more than just paper and ink. They showed me that my students noticed:

The extra effort I put in outside of contract hours

My love for my content area (Spanish!) and sharing it with them

My attempts to connect with every personality in the room

The way I taught beyond the textbook

That I was fair, that I listened, and that I truly cared about each one of them

They appreciated the stories I shared during “Trivia del Día,” my travel mishaps while learning Spanish, and the interviews I’d recorded from people around the world using our class vocabulary.

It Didn’t Stop With Students

I also loved getting emails from parents or caring adults. Sometimes they’d write just to say their child genuinely enjoyed our class—and even talked about it over dinner.

Yes, really! What a boost!

A Suggestion for Teacher Appreciation Week

As a #formerteacher, I’d like to share one idea for anyone wondering how to show appreciation during #TeacherAppreciationWeek:

📌 Send your child’s teacher a kind email. Mention something specific you appreciate about them or their class—and CC their administrator.

That simple message will end up in their personnel file, and trust me, it will seriously make their day.

Teachers, Your Turn

➡️ How would you feel receiving an email like this?

💘 What are your most memorable tokens of appreciation?

Let’s keep lifting up educators and celebrating the impact they have every day.