Dear Professor,

Thank you for making me feel confident in my learning, even when I didn't understand what the heck I was reading about and wanted to just slam the book shut and hide under my covers.

Thank you for teaching with such enthusiasm, even when half the class wasn't listening. It's clear that you love what you do, and for that I am incredibly grateful. Your excitement to teach fueled my excitement to learn.

Thank you for always replying promptly to my emails. Seriously, not many professors do, and it's one of my biggest pet peeves as a student.

Thank you for learning the names of each and every person in class. Your job is clearly more than just a salary.

Thank you for extending deadlines because you understand that we are trying to balance 15 credits, a full-time job, and at least a little bit of a social life.

THANK YOU for extra credit - and lots of it.

Thank you for understanding the lack of necessity in exams. My learning is furthered so much more by group projects and homework assignments, and you get that.

Thank you for letting us ask questions. You have no problem cancelling lecture and spending the full class time discussing a question brought up at the beginning of class.

Thank you for taking attendance each and every class. As someone who rarely skips class, it's nice to see my dedication rewarded.

Thank you for relating the material to real-life experiences. I think it's a proven fact that college students learn better when they can apply their learning directly to their own life.

Thank you for having readable handwriting.

Thank you for being unbiased. In this day and age, it's nearly impossible to find a professor who doesn't pick and choose sides. You hear every argument and debate with an open mind, and it makes me feel like my opinion matters.

Thank you for not freaking out when I accidentally hit the volume button while watching March Madness during class. I can't promise it won't happen again, but thanks for being understanding and not hating me for it.

Thank you for posting the lecture slides online. It's the little things that make the biggest difference.

Thank you for making me read the textbook. Few things bother me more than having to spend hundreds of dollars on books that I don't even need to pass the class. It's refreshing to see my money was actually being put to good use!

I've had a million and one professors throughout college, and none of them were as fantastic as you. Thank you for refreshing my hope in secondary education and inspiring me to maybe even teach someday. You understand the struggles of college in a world of professors who don't seem like they do. So thank you. You da best.

Sincerely,

A college student

P.S. If you check rate-my-professor in a few weeks, I think you'll be pleased with what you see :)