We’ve reached the end of the school year (hooray!), but before our kids run out of those school doors for summer, let’s encourage them to write a short-but-sweet teacher thank you note. After all, a personal note from their students is the #1 pick from teachers who don’t really need another coffee mug or decadent treat (though they’d love those things too!)
Whether or not you’re planning to give a gift, a personal note can really go a long way to making our teachers feel appreciated and seen. But if you–or your kids–aren’ t sure what to write besides “thanks”, here are 5 easy tips for making this teacher thank-you note one that they’ll remember. . .and maybe save for years. Plus, we’ve included links to printable or virtual cards so that you can wrap all of this up before summer really gets started.
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Related: The best teacher gift ideas from people who know: actual teachers.
1. List the things they love about their teacher
Ask your child to list all the things they love about their teacher. Are they funny/helpful/silly/able to sing really well? Do they make clean-up fun or help resolve conflicts between friends? Then pick a couple of their thoughts they can add to a printable thank you note like this from Divine Party Design. We love that this instant download can be personalized with the teacher’s name and school—and you can print out extra copies for any perfectionists who want a do-over. ($3 for downloadable thank you letter)
For younger writers, this fill-in-the-blank style from The Savvy Sparrow is easier on little hands as they only need to add in key words to create a personalized note for their teacher. (free download)
2. Get reallllly specific in their teacher thank-you note
Referencing a specific moment or situation will feel very personal to a teacher who may receive dozens of thank you cards at the end of the school year. This printable thank you from Flying Pinwheel is great for kids who may either struggle with handwriting or just prefer to draw their thoughts, and the prompts make it easier to narrow them down to a few highlights. ($3.75 for downloadable thank you letter)
3. Tailor the message by the teacher’s core subject
It seem obvious that your child should try to say thank you in Spanish when writing to their Spanish teacher, but they can get creative with other subjects too! Write a poem or use the latest vocab words for their favorite English teacher, or sketch a portrait for their art teacher.
And try some of these lines out for a special math teacher:
I’ve done the calculations, and you’re an awesome teacher!
I could always count on you this year.
Me + Math = A winning equation because of you!
My love of math multiplied this year.
It may seem corny, but I bet their math teacher will think they took the right angle with their message. (ha, sorry.)
4. Say thanks to a teacher with video
We wrote about Punchbowl’s free ecards for Teacher Appreciation during the pandemic and love that they’re still available in several creative designs that make great end-of-year teacher thank-you cards. We especially like that you can include a free video of your child thanking their teacher which is great for those kids who love to get in front of the camera.
Or, get really creative by sending a music teacher a short video of your child practicing their recorder, a language tutor a thank you in French, or the art teacher a show-and-tell of an art project they’re particularly proud of. Any teacher would be thrilled to get such a personalized message!
5. Consider sending your own thank-you note to the teacher
If you have a personal message to send to a teacher, this is a great time to do it! The end of the school year is hectic for everyone, but teachers will really appreciate knowing that their hard work is appreciated by not only their students but also the parents.
