Each year during the month of May, the nation says thank you to its teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week with shopping deals, restaurant giveaways, handwritten notes, and even free cruises. But what about the rest of the year? We asked educators on Twitter: When did you feel most appreciated by a student? Check out some of our favorite responses below and follow #ASCDTeacherAppreciation for more.
WHEN ALUMNI RETURN ASKING TO OBSERVE YOUR CLASSES AS THEY DISCOVER THE CALLING OF EDUCATION. MEANINGFUL EXCHANGES WITH FORMER STUDENTS CHILDREN AS YOU SERVE THE NEXT GENERATION! THE GIFT OF INSPIRING THE FUTURE. #ASCDTEACHERAPPRECIATION
#ASCDTEACHERAPPRECIATION I MISSED FIVE WEEKS OF WORK DUE TO A BACK INJURY. WHEN I RETURNED, MY STUDENTS DECORATED MY ROOM AND THREW ME A PIZZA PARTY.
I LEARNED THAT A FORMER STUDENT USED SOME OF THE ADVICE I PROVIDED TO PROPEL HER THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL! THE GIFT… WILL BE HER RETURNING TO SPEAK WITH MY CURRENT SS IN ORDER TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THIS NEXT LEVEL OF LEARNING! #THANKFUL #WORDSMATTER
I FELT MOST APPRECIATED WHEN A TRANSFER STUDENT REMARKED HE LIKED OUR SCHOOL THE BEST BECAUSE THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL GAVE HIM MORE INDEPENDENCE. #LIM
ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF APPRECIATION IS WHEN MY FIFTH GRADERS AND I WERE ON A TRIP AND WERE ABOUT TO GO KAYAKING TO EXAMINE POLLUTION IN THE WATER SHED. A LITTLE FELLOW RAN TO BUCKLE MY LIFE VEST AND SAID “YOU CAN BE DROWNING, MRS. DAVIS. I NEED YOU AROUND AND I LIKE YOU”
WHEN I TURNED 50, A ROOM PARENT REACHED OUT TO MANY OF MY PAST STUDENTS ASKING FOR CARDS/LETTERS TO WISH ME A HAPPY BDAY. THE PERSONALIZED NOTES WERE AMAZING. READING THE THINGS THEY REMEMBERED FROM OUR TIME TOGETHER BLEW ME AWAY. I WAS REMINDED THAT IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS.
CAN’T GET MUCH BETTER THAN A VALENTINE HEARTFELT CARD FROM YOUR SPICIEST S AND THEIR MOM ? #KEEPER PIC.TWITTER.COM/BIEMGUCVUM
I THINK THE MOST POWERFUL EXPERIENCE IS WHEN STUDENTS FROM THE PAST FIND YOU AND THANK YOU. REMEMBERING AND THANKING ME 10+ YEARS AFTER BEING IN MY CLASS IS THE BEST REWARD
YEARS AGO I HAD A GROUP OF STUDENTS EVERYONE THOUGHT WERE DESTINED FOR FAILURE. SPENT THE ENTIRE YEAR WORKING WITH THEM, GOING TO THEIR BAND PRACTICES, AND LISTENING TO THEM. AT THE END OF THE YEAR THEY BOUGHT ME A SHIRT AND EACH WROTE ME A THANK YOU CARD.
1) GR 10 GOT ME A SOLAR LAMP FOR WHEN I BOUGHT A HOUSE BC OF MATH LUNCH HELP CONVERSATIONS AROUND SUSTAINABILITY. I WAS SO TAKEN A BACK. I SAVED IT. WE HAVE IT AT OUR HOUSE NOW.
WHEN I TAUGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL, ONE OF MY MOST CHALLENGING STUDENT CAME BACK AFTER 1 YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL JUST TO SAY “THANK YOU”.
A STUDENT I HAD IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REACHED OUT TO ME AS A HIGH SCHOOLER AND THANKED ME FOR HELPING HIM FIND THE JOY IN READING. ??
A FORMER STUDENT IN MY ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CLASS WROTE HER COLLEGE ENTRY ESSAY ABOUT ME AND MY IMPACT ON HER. SHE GAINED ACCEPTANCE INTO THE SCHOOL AND A COPY WAS SENT TO ME. FOUR YEARS LATER, MY FORMER STUDENT MADE SURE I WAS PRESENT AT HER COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY.
THE BEST GIFTS ARE HANDWRITTEN NOTES FROM STUDENTS. THERE WERE QUIET A FEW OVER THE YEARS AND I HAVE SAVED EACH ONE; WHEN A STUDENT TAKES THE TIME TO PUT PEN TO PAPER AND CHOOSE HEARTFELT WORDS OF LOVE AND GRATITUDE, IT JUST DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT! #MYWHY
I HAD A KID SAY TO ME ONCE, “MS. P, PROMISE ME YOU WON’T BECOME A VICE PRINCIPAL. YOU BELONG IN THE CLASSROOM WITH KIDS.” ?
THIS IS A “TWEET” THAT I RECEIVED FROM A GRADE 7 STUDENT LAST YEAR. IT HAS A PERMANENT HOME ON MY FRIDGE. I HAVE NOT DIRECTLY TAUGHT THIS STUDENT BUT STILL FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON HER LIFE. ?? PIC.TWITTER.COM/RIHRNRJI9T
2 GIFTS COME TO MIND: A STUDENT ONCE GAVE ME AN ENTIRE JOURNAL OF POEMS SHE WROTE. A STUDENT FLEW MY IN HER PLANE WHEN SHE EARNED HER PILOT’S LICENSE.
MY MOMENT OF GRADITUTE WAS HEARING MY KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MRS. DAHLIN?” THEY DIDN’T MENTION THE MATH LESSON, THE SIGHT WORD OF THE WEEK, OR THE ASSESSMENTS GIVEN. THEY ANSWERED, “SHE TAKES CARE OF US AND KEEPS US SAFE.”
THE GREATEST HONOR I RECEIVED CAME FROM A FORMER STUDENT. TEN YEARS AFTER HE GRADUATED HE SHOWED UP AT MY SCHOOL WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO YOUNG SONS TO ENROLL IN MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BECAUSE HE TRUSTED AND RESPECTED ME TO EDUCATE THEM THE SAME WAY I DID HIM 10 YEARS EARLIER.
A STUDENT I TAUGHT IN 3RD GRADE DEDICATED HER FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK, OVER 15 YEARS LATER, TO ME SAYING THAT I INSPIRED HER LOVE OF WRITING!
WHEN A STUDENT WHO HAD NOTHING SAVED HALF HIS SNACK MONEY TO BUY ME A STAPLE REMOVER. (HE ONLY GOT 50 CENTS A WEEK)
I FELT GRATITUDE WHEN A FORMER STUDENT HAD TO WRITE A LETTER ABOUT SOMEONE SHE LOOKED UP TO & CHOSE ME. SHE TALKED ABOUT HOW SHE GOT GLASSES & I TOOK A SELFIE WITH HER BECAUSE NOW WE BOTH HAD GLASSES. I HAD NO IDEA THE IMAPCT THAT PIC MADE ON HER. THIS WAS AT LEAST 4 YRS LATER.
WHEN MY STUDENT’S PARENTS STARTED BRINGING ME HOMEMADE AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD, THAT’S WHEN I TRULY KNEW I WAS APPRECIATED!
SS IN MY #ELL SS CLASS WERE ABLE TO WRITE NOTES ON ?’S FOR A T OF THEIR CHOOSING FOR VALENTINE’S DAY IN ANOTHER CLASS- 1 OF MY SS WHO CAME TO ME 3 WKS AGO WROTE 1 FOR ME. MADE MY ? MELT AS I’VE BEEN FINDING A WAY TO CONNECT W/ HIM- HE KNOWS I SEE HIM.#ASCDTEACHERAPPRECIATION HTTPS://T.CO/YJB5WNVKSL
NOTHING WILL EVER MEASURE UP TO THE DAY IN WALKED INTO MY CLASSROOM AND MY INCREDIBLE SENIORS HAD A SURPRISE BABY SHOWER PLANNED INCLUDING A SMALL MEAL, GAMES, AND GIFTS. I HAVE NEVER FELT MORE APPRECIATED AND THANKFUL FOR MY KIDS. #ASCDTEACHERAPPRECIATION PIC.TWITTER.COM/CG0UPLXNLX
#ASCDTEACHERAPPRECIATION I HAD A ANGEL DECORATION FROM A KINDERGARTENER MY 1ST YEAR TEACHING. HUNG ON MY TREE FOR 22 YEARS. MY NEW STUDENT TEACHER WALKED IN AND IT WAS THAT SAME KINDERGARTENER! HTTPS://T.CO/MXLEH1WN7K
COLLEGE GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS. I CAN’T ATTEND THEM ALL, BUT THE JOY I GET FROM RECEIVING THEM IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD. #ASCDTEACHERAPPRECIATION HTTPS://T.CO/QS168VBXZ1
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