Dear High School Teacher,

Thank you. I do not know where I would be today without you. I owe you so much of my success, and students probably do not tell you enough how much of an impact you have had on our lives. In fact, you have to put up with a lot of resistance from students who either refuse to try in class or believe what we are learning does not matter. It is probably these students who most regret not listening to you in high school, because you were right.

The Advanced Placement credits I earned from your class helped me skip almost two semesters, which saved me thousands of dollars and a lot of stress. The class you taught helped me decide what I wanted to major in, or maybe what I definitely did not want to major in. I did not have one class in high school that has not already helped me tremendously in college.

Having an essay due every couple of weeks taught me how to write an A paper in under three hours. (Although maybe that wasn't exactly the point.) Doing repetitive math problems (which I cursed at the time) taught me how to master a process and identify patterns. Practicing Spanish for six years has allowed me to be able to test out of language courses for my major.

Thanks to you, I am also able to help my friends out in several different subjects, because you taught your students to master the material, not just memorize it.

When I first started college, I was very nervous. I did not know how I would do compared to my peers, and worried about not being one of the smartest in my classes. I now had thousands of students to compete with instead of a couple hundred, and this was intimidating. After my first few weeks, however, I began to relax. I realized that you prepared me for high school every day I walked into your class. In fact, you probably over-prepared me, which is why I am so grateful that you were my teacher.

When I talk to my friends from college about high school, I hear horror stories about teachers who did not care about the students, or who could not teach well. I am lucky to have no idea what that is like. You always supported your students, and if someone did not understand something, you worked with them until you did. You sacrificed countless hours that could have been spent with your family or friends, just to help out one student.

This leads me to one of the most important things I have to thank you for: teaching me to be compassionate and work well with anyone. I learned from your example, and I know that without you, I would not have been half as successful as I have been.

While I probably cannot put into words how much you inspired me, I hope that you know that you are an integral part of each of your students’ lives. Your lessons, along with your encouraging words, were appreciated then and now, and they will not be forgotten.

Sincerely,

A Grateful College Student