Dear Teacher,

I want you to understand, as much as I wish it were, this letter is not addressed to every teacher I have ever had. This letter is addressed to you: the teacher who stood out in front of them all. The teacher who inspired me to be my best all the time. The teacher who did not just expect to receive respect, but also gave it in return. The teacher who changed the way I think about education.

Firstly, I want to thank you for your patience and perseverance. I know your job has probably had more downs than ups, but if you would not have stuck through it, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to be your student and gain such fulfillment from all you've taught me. Young people can be hard to deal with, and I truly admire your ability to come to work every day and deal with not only your own problems, but also ours.

Thank you for making me feel like I deserve to be heard. Before you, and, unfortunately, after you, I have experienced many teachers who just talk at us and expect us to take in everything he or she says. I have had teachers talk down to me and I have had teachers belittle me. Thank you for understanding that I have something important to say, and for letting me say it. Your faith in me has given me faith in myself, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Thank you for giving me someone to run to instead of run from. Thank you for your open-door policy, and making me feel like I can talk to you about anything. So many of my teachers have made me feel too intimidated to really connect with them, but you made me feel like I can approach you with any problem, no matter the subject. In a time in my life when judgment and drama were so common, you were always there to listen to me vent or just hang out with during lunch instead of having to sit in the cafeteria.

Thank you for making class entertaining. Not every student enjoyed the subject you teach, but every student still enjoyed being in your classroom. Your mood was always positive and it spread throughout the room. Thank you for finding a way to make us laugh, even when you were teaching about things many of us didn't really care about. For many of us, our experience in your classroom was one of the primary reasons we enjoyed coming to school.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you for not just teaching me to pass the test, but teaching me to succeed in life. Not only did you give me the tools I needed to do well in your class, but you also gave me many of the tools I needed to do well in college and beyond. You never made us focus on studying for standardized tests, because you know that information is not what should stick with us when we leave your classroom. You made me feel like I could succeed, and then you taught me how to succeed.

I am writing you this letter because I want you to know how much what you do matters. You have been there for me and other students in a way parents, siblings, and friends could not be, and you have inspired me to become the best version of myself. I can imagine it gets tough having students come in and out of your classroom every year, and it can often feel like you are not making a difference in their lives in just a few short months, so, for this reason above all, I want you to know that you have made a profound impact on my entire life and I could not be more grateful to have known you. Thank you for teaching me.

Sincerely,

Your Former Student