Imagine waking up at 5 a.m. every day, driving alongside the yet-to-rise sun, to beat a rowdy bunch of teenagers to your classroom. You begin writing the day's agenda on the board as lockers slam and students pile in. The bell rings and oh great, Billy is in stage 3 of REM sleep and Megan is still snapchatting. There is almost nothing sweeter than the sound of school buses returning after a long seven hours. You at last sink into your seat, when suddenly, you find yourself in an intense stare off with the pile of work on your desk that won't grade itself. Being a high school teacher is no easy job.

To my favorite high school teacher,

I commend you. Thank you for selflessly taking on an occupation that can often appear thankless. I wish you received more recognition because you always take the time to ensure every student feels individually recognized. Whether or not their work is exceptional, you are incredibly good at making everyone feel special and cared about. It takes a special person to do that. You deserve thanks and I hope you know that.

Thank you for making me look forward to class.

Your enthusiastic greetings at the door, coupled with your awesome music playlists never ceased to brighten my day.

Thank you for making class interesting.

Whether it be playing clips of "The Office" to enhance lessons of developmental leadership or designing newspaper dresses for fashion marketing projects, you always kept things exciting and original.

Thank you for pushing me to my fullest potential.

At times, I wished my first effort was good enough, but your constructive criticism helped me realize settling is never the way to go. Thank you for encouraging me to grow and challenge myself as an innovative learner.

Thank you for taking an interest in my life outside of academics.

From listening to me vent about stressful extracurriculars to giving me advice about my future, your wisdom-filled words always brought me ease and a smile. You have no idea how much you simply caring meant to me.

Thank you for being a supporter, mentor, and friend of mine.

Though it has been over a year since I have sat in your classroom, you are still one of the first people I want to visit when I come home from college. Thank you for continuing to celebrate all my new endeavors with me. I am sure many would agree with me when I say, your passion, genuineness, and dedication are unparalleled. I am lucky to have been taught by you.

You are the coolest teacher simply for having a flamingo hat.

Sincerely,

Your former student