Okay, so I needed to whip up a “thank you” letter to a student teacher. You know, the kind that makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I did what any reasonable person would do: I started brainstorming.
Brainstorming and Gathering My Thoughts
First, I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. I’m old school like that. I started jotting down all the things I remembered about this student teacher, Ms. Johnson. What did she do that really stood out? What made her a great teacher in my eyes? I made a list:
- Patient: She never seemed to get frustrated, even when we were being, well, us.
- Enthusiastic: She always had a smile and made learning fun.
- Helpful: Seriously, she went above and beyond to help us understand the material.
- Creative: Her lessons weren’t boring, ever.
I then spend a lot of time to think about the specific examples. It’s one thing to say “you were patient,” but it’s another to say when she was patient and how that helped me. So I dug deep and came up with a few good memories. Like, when she explained fractions to us for the tenth time, using different colored blocks, and I finally got it. Or that time she stayed after class to help me with my project, even though she probably had a million other things to do.
Drafting the Actual Letter
With my notes in hand, I started writing. I wanted it to sound genuine, not like some generic, copy-pasted thing. I started with a simple greeting:
“Dear Ms. Johnson,”
Then, I just dove in. I told her how much I appreciated her time with us. I mentioned the specific things I listed earlier – her patience, her enthusiasm, her willingness to help. And I made sure to include those specific examples I remembered. It’s like, showing instead of just telling, you know?
For instance, instead of just saying, “You were really patient,” I wrote something like, “I really appreciated how patient you were with us, especially when we were struggling with fractions. Remember that time you used the colored blocks? That finally made it click for me, and I’m so grateful for that.”
I kept it relatively short and sweet. I didn’t want to ramble on forever. I wanted to get to the point and make sure she knew how much I appreciated her.
Final Touches and Sending It Off
After I wrote the first draft, I read it over a couple of times. I fixed any weird sentences or typos. Then, I let my friend read it over to get a second pair of eyes. She gave me a thumbs up, which was a relief.
I decide to handwrite my letter, I think handwritten thank-you notes always feel more personal. I carefully wrote it out on a nice piece of stationery, signed it, and put it in an envelope. I hand-delivered it to Ms. Johnson on her last day. And I must say, the big smile I get is worth more than all the practice and sharing.
