With the school year coming to a close very soon, it’s important to take the time to say thank you to the teachers who have spent the year working with and helping our children. And of all the gifts a teacher can receive, a simple thank you note may be among the most memorable. Even if you choose to purchase a gift as well, sitting down with your child to compose a letter of thanks will be well received and much appreciated.
A few things to remember when writing your note:
Handwrite the letter: Do not have your child type their letter. Instead, have smaller kids dictate their letter to you and you can write it, or have them do it themselves if they are of the right age.
Use a proper greeting: Start the thank you note with ‘Dear’ and not ‘Hi’ or ‘Hey.’
Express gratitude: Be sure to include a sentiment of thanks within the letter.
Be specific: Customize the letter for the teacher by telling them what it is you and your child will most appreciate or remember.
Talk about how the teacher influenced the child: Lessons learned don’t disappear the minute the kids walk out the door. Be sure to include one example of how the teacher will have a lasting impact on the child.
Show appreciation: Give another example. After all, this is the point of the note.
Include a proper sign-off: Instead of simply signing a name at the end of the letter, include one of the following, plus a name: Sincerely, Love, With Kind Regards, Yours Truly, Best Wishes, Our Deepest Thanks, Warmly. Don’t forget to add the child’s last name or their last initial as well, as teachers often have multiple students with the same name.
Here’s a sample of what a thank you note to a teacher might look like:
Dear ________________,
Thank you for being a wonderful teacher!
My favourite part of the school year was ___________________________.
I loved it when you _______________________.
The coolest thing we studied was ___________________________.
I like how you did/do ___________________________ to help me learn.
You are really great at ___________________________.
I will always remember ___________________________.
I am so glad you were my teacher because ___________________________.
Warmly,
___________________________
One last thing to remember: don’t email the thank you note. Be sure to deliver it in person, or send it via snail mail if a personal hand-off isn’t possible. Most teachers like to keep their thank you notes, and having to print them off the computer is a hassle, not to mention less personal as well.
Tagged under: school,card,teacher,end of school,thanks,teacher gift,how-to,note,thank you note,teacher thank you note,handwritten
Category: parenting
