There may have been times throughout the year when you wanted to scream at your teachers or never set foot in their classroom again—whether they graded your paper super harshly, called you out for texting in class, or gave a lecture so boring that you fell asleep on your desk. Or you may have had one of the best teachers of your high school career, and the thought of ending class makes you more emotional than watching The Notebook. Either way, your teachers have put a ton of time and effort into their job all year long, so it’s important that you let them know you appreciate their work. Not sure of how you should go about thanking them? We’ve got you covered—all you have to do is choose which way works best for you!
1. Write a thank you note
We may be more used to Facebook chat than snail mail, but since you are probably (hopefully) not friends with your teachers on Facebook, a hand-written thank you note is an easy yet thoughtful way to show your appreciation for your teachers.
Get a nice piece of stationery—not just lined notebook paper—and write something meaningful. Instead of just writing a general, generic “thank you,” try to pinpoint a few specific things that you enjoyed about the class and what you will take away from it.
For example, if your teacher showed funny YouTube clips that related to class material, mention how that helped reinforce concepts in an engaging way. Or, note that the monthly in-class essays taught you how to explore and analyze readings more deeply and kept you on top of your work, skills that you will definitely take to college. Teachers love to know that their class actually made an impact on you, so conveying that in your thank-you note will make them extra happy.
The best way to give your note would be in person at the end of the last class, but if that isn’t possible then you could stick it in their office mailbox.
2. Give a gift certificate
Even though gift certificates are sometimes thought of as less thoughtful than a real present, they give your teachers the opportunity to get themselves something that they actually need or want. Your teachers probably don’t need another coffee mug or pencil holder to add to their collection, but you can never have too many gift certificates!
You can make it more personal by getting a gift certificate to somewhere that you know your teacher likes. For example, if you know your teacher is into knitting, then you could get one to a craft store. Or, if you know they just got a new house, then maybe to a home goods store. If they’ve mentioned their love of Thai food, get one to the best Thai restaurant in town. If you can’t think of anything, then gift certificates to nice restaurants, spas, coffee shops, or even Amazon are always good options.
If the card is to a coffee shop or café, a $10 gift certificate is fine. But, if you had a special relationship with this teacher (not the kind that Aria and Ezra had on Pretty Little Liars—we’re talking about if the teacher wrote you a college rec or was one of your favorites), then you could upgrade to $20 – $30.
3. Bake something
Baked goods not only show that you took the time to make something, but also they’re delicious—it’s a win-win situation for everybody. You could go with one of the classics like cake, cookies, or brownies but jazz it up by writing “thank you” in icing, or spelling it out with lettered toothpicks stuck into the goodies. If you know your teacher is health-conscious, try making one of these 7 skinny desserts. Also consider including a list of ingredients with your recipe in case they have food allergies.
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4. Give them something to bake
Not a good baker? Give your teachers something that they can bake themselves! Taylor Southworth, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, explains that a lot of kids at her high school would give their teachers “Cookies In A Jar” at the end of the year.
“You find a recipe for cookies, layer the ingredients in a jar, and then attach a note to it that includes the recipe,” she says. “The jars end up looking really cute even though it doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare.” To make it look extra pretty, find a recipe that lets you buy colorful ingredients like M&Ms or dried fruits.
5. Collaborate with your peers
If your class bonded really well over the year, or all loved your teacher, getting everyone together to give a joint gift is an awesome sentiment. Pooling your money will make it more feasible to get one big gift. On my high school field hockey team, we gave our coaches a gift certificate to a steak house or for a massage at a local health club at the end of each season, and they always loved it! Some other ideas are a Kindle, a gift card to a bookstore, or a membership to an art museum or another cultural center in your community.
Another alternative is to all sign a card with a picture of the whole class on it. If you have the time, you could even make a scrapbook with a note and picture from everyone. Priceless!
Coordinating with a whole class can be tough, but it’s doable. Make a Facebook group or message thread and set a specific date and place for everyone to turn their money in or sign the card. Send a reminder the day before!
6. Get philanthropic
If there is a cause or organization that your teacher is passionate about, you could make a donation in his or her name. This is an extra special way to honor your teacher and give back at the same time! This could be done as a solo gift, or as a collaboration if you’re pooling money from the whole class.
7. Ask to chat in person
You don’t have to give your teacher something to show them that you care—sitting down with them in person to reflect on the year and thank them for their efforts is just as thoughtful and special. And they’ll appreciate it 100%! Ask them (in class one day or via email) if they have a few minutes before or after class one day to have a quick chat.
You can start the convo off by saying that you just wanted to thank them for an amazing year and you appreciate all the help they have given you. You could then go on to note a few activities, assignments, or units that you especially liked, or just tell them your biggest take-away from the class. Whether or not the convo continues from there, having this sort of goodbye talk with you teacher is a nice way to get closure and thank them at the same time.
No matter what way you choose to thank your teachers, they’ll appreciate it. They’ve spent all year dedicating their time and effort to helping you, so letting them know that they did a good job will always mean a lot. Plus, you never know when you may need their help again down the line, so it’s never a bad idea to leave on good terms!