Dear Teacher,

I would like to thank you for believing in me. For seeing something in me from the very beginning. For not giving up on me when I didn't quite understand what seemed to click right away for almost everyone else. I know there were times when I didn't try as hard as I should have, and times where I was really struggling and on the verge of giving up. You saw my potential and helped me get through it. You believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself.

When I felt lost, you answered my questions and made sure I understood what was happening, even if it meant having to come in earlier or stay later than you usually would. I am so grateful for how much you cared about seeing me succeed.

I know that your job is not the easiest, and at times, it's probably pretty exhausting. You have all these lesson plans, assignments and tests to create, along with having to grade everything. And when parents see that their children didn't do well, they get upset and blame you for the study habits and failing grades of their kids. I applaud you for keeping your cool and always being kind and respectful, even in situations like those.

There may be some days where you don't feel like you are doing a good job, or that you aren't reaching your students completely. I understand that. It's a lot of pressure. However, I would like to assure you that you are doing a fantastic job. Keep doing what you're doing.

I dreaded going to most of my classes, but I was excited to go to yours, even if I didn't enjoy being around my classmates. I knew that going to your class would make me smile, not want to crawl into a hole and hide or scream at the top of my lungs.

You taught me so much more than just what I needed to know to just scrape by. You taught me important lessons, like that it takes hard work, perseverance, and a good sense of humor to make it through this life. I've also learned that you don't always need to have all of the answers to be successful.

College is hard. You warned me that it would be. You also told me that it will be a time of self-discovery and adventure, and you were so right. Thank you for not making me fear the future, but making me excited about it.

Thank you for believing in me when it seemed like things were falling apart. Thank you for being a friend and a mentor. Thank you for being the best at what you do. Thank you for being an inspiration. You have made a huge impact on more lives than you could ever realize and I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to be one of them. I aspire to be like you one day.

With love,

A student who didn't say thank you enough