Coming from a small town and a class size of one hundred and seven, I really got to know my teachers and they got to know me. I am so thankful that I had that opportunity. Sometimes I feel like teachers do not get enough credit for all of the hard work they do in and out of the classroom. So here are five things we especially need to thank our teachers for.

1. Never giving up on us.

Throughout the numerous late assignments, failed tests, and absences, our teachers never gave up. Accepting late assignments for half credit helped that low assignment grade and taught us to never give up on something even when it is late. Test corrections were a grade saver and reminded us that we all make mistakes but we can correct and learn from them for the future. They would talk to us about our absences and work out a deal to help us succeed. In the end that deal saved us from failing and taught us that even when you slack and want to give up there is a way to make it up and do better.

2. The endless amount of support.

Whether we had a family member pass away, sports game, or concert, our teachers were always there for us. It was great knowing that if you were struggling with a loss of a family member, your teachers were there and let us know that if we needed to leave the classroom we could. It was always nice to look up in the crowd at games and see your teachers cheering you on. It was also humbling to see our teachers in the auditorium, listening to us sing and play our hearts out.

3. Disciplining us.

At the time we were probably mad at our teachers for giving us detention or scolding us, but now we are glad they did. It would be embarrassing if our college professors had to scold us in front of our adult classmates. They taught us what is appropriate classroom behavior.

4. Time and effort.

After the tenth eight-page paper on the same subject, they wanted to give up or give little to no feedback, but they did not. They pushed through because they knew it would benefit us in the future. No matter how many tests or papers they had to grade, they did it and to the best of their ability in a timely matter.

5. Helping us get this far and shaping who we are.

Without you we never would have made it into the college of our dreams. You pushed us to be better students, athletes, and people. You truly cared about us and made us feel like we matter.

The list goes on and on.

But thank you for all you have done for us.