From elementary to high school, our daily lives consisted of lessons, games, and testing. Our years spent in school led us to making new friends, joining clubs and, of course, complaining about homework assignments given to us every night for 13 years.

Behind those annoying assignments, though, were people who cared. These people cared about your knowledge and success. Sometimes, if you became close enough, they cared about your personal life, too. It’s often too easy to overlook the importance of a figure in your life; and it’s not until later on in your life that you may truly realize someone’s impact.

Even while already in my third year of college, I never feel like I have thanked my teachers enough for all they did for me and for the influence they still hold in my life today. So, I created a list of reasons why we should be grateful for these teachers—the people who dedicated their career to making our lives brighter.

1. They always saw your potential.

We are our biggest critics. Personally, I never feel like my work is good enough. It can be challenging to see your own worth and recognize your skills, but that’s where our teachers come in. They grade you based off of your performance. If they believe you can do better, their critiques are meant to help you reach that better state. So thank you, teachers, for pushing us to always be the best versions of ourselves.

2. It’s never about the money, it’s always about the students.

Going into school early and staying hours after classes let out does not earn them overtime. Our teachers work hard, to say the least, when ensuring lectures are clear and activities are engaging enough for us. They spend hours at home grading our papers when they should be spending time with their families. Budgets are low, but that doesn’t stop some from buying extra supplies out of pocket simply to make sure their students are taken care of. So thank you, teachers, for the extra love you give to our education.

3. Exercising your imagination was always encouraged.

Average is boring. Clichés are overused. To avoid this dullness, our teachers must aid in the expansion of our creativity. Our imaginations will only weaken with time if we stop utilizing them as our greatest tool. Sure we exercised our imaginations differently between first grade and eleventh grade, but that’s only because our minds continued to advance. The ways in which we nourish our brains vary as we grow older. So thank you, teachers, for continuously strengthening and beautifying our minds.

4. You learned lessons that can be applied outside the classroom.

I can honestly say that the quadratic formula and scientific method has only helped me pass my general education classes in college after first learning them in middle school. However, I do still remember skills such as Photoshop thanks to my journalism class. I know how to type without looking at my keyboard due to my computer class. More specifically, I can also easily recall some of the most inspiring life advice that my English II teacher preached to us every day my sophomore year of high school. Perhaps someone taught you how to write a check, write a professional email, apply for scholarships or even gave you relationship advice you can still remember to this day. Not everything you learned was from a textbook, and usually those are the most important lessons. So thank you, teachers, for serving as a strong role model and leading us down the most memorable paths of success.

5. They always put you before themselves.

As mentioned before, teachers do not get paid or even applauded more for staying on campus late hours and using their paychecks to cover extra supplies for the classroom. They do these things out of love and thoughtfulness for us. When we succeed, we are happy. When we are happy, our teachers are happy. A career as difficult as this one takes someone who is truly dedicated and passionate about the success of another individual. Otherwise, what’s the point in exerting all that energy? So thank you, teachers, for those long nights and stressful meetings you went through because you want to see your children reach their goals. Thank you for all that you do, and never forget that you are always appreciated, even if we forget to sincerely express our gratitude.