To my high school teachers who cared about me,

You made us care packages filled with a snack, a tissue pack, and a pen before an AP exam. You sent emails to us when you noticed that we looked upset in class. You even made chocolate covered pretzels for us before winter break and only got a little annoyed when we blasted Fetty Wap or Kanye during lab. You let us throw mini parties whenever we were done with AP exams and even provided the snacks. You helped us de-stress before SATs by adding yoga to the lesson plan. You didn’t mind writing tons of college recommendation letters and taking out your own time to give us career advice, staying before and after school for extra help, asking us about how our life was going (even after we hadn’t been in your class for years), and planning interesting lessons that combined photography and pre-calculus. You know who you are.

Everyday I feel blessed to have gone to a high school filled with teachers like you who took the time to get to know each and every one of us and our goals and plans for life. You went above and beyond in making sure we knew how much you cared, whether that involved tailoring your music playlists to our tastes or talking to us about our hopes and dreams during the passing time between classes. Somehow, you have dealt with moody and distracted teenagers day in and day out without losing your patience. We know we can be difficult to deal with, especially when we not-so-subtly use our phones in class. You have been willing to go out of your way for us and make sure that we comprehend everything, not only for exams or standardized tests, but for our future. Thank you for being understanding with us.

I’ll never get those who were so excited to leave high school. My experience in high school must have been very different than theirs. I was fortunate enough to have teachers that taught me way more than just the subject they were supposed to. Through you, I have learned what it means to bring passion into my everyday. While anybody could have said what they know about a subject, you brought your excitement and enthusiasm into our classroom and I am so grateful for the good vibes we had in class everyday because of your attitude and energy.

Love,

Your Former Student