photo by Ben Fredericson
When I speak with LEARN’s teachers about what is different for them about teaching online compared to their face-to-face experience with students in schools, one of the things that comes up frequently is the gratitude that their students express every day. When I visit classes, I notice it: almost every student includes thanks as part of his/her daily parting words to teachers.
I secretly asked LEARN’s online cycle 2 students if they would like to express their gratitude more publicly this week as part of the celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week in Quebec. Here are some of the responses I received, in the students’ own words:
Dear Mrs. Drolet,
I can’t imagine how fast the year came by. My math classes with you were wonderful and amazing. Throughout the year, I’ve had difficulties in every single chapter we went through but you were always there for me and helped me get through it.
I know you sometimes were disappointed by the work handed in by me, but I did try my best to succeed and have good marks and it is because of you. You were there for me and I am so grateful and happy that you were my teacher this year.
Good thing Marianne convinced me to take the online class or else I wouldn’t have met the awesome teacher you are. I definitely will miss you terribly and you forever will stay in my heart because even though we haven’t met, I love you a lot and you are a great person.
Thank you so much for being there for me. You made me a better person. I am now taking my responsibilities seriously and I can’t be more thankful than I am right now. You definitely were the best friend you told us you’d be at the beginning of the year. My text seems cheesy a bit, but it really is what I think of you. Thank you so much.
Lots of love,
Bianca
Dear Mrs. McGoldrick,
You have made Math class so interesting for Marica and me, as well as the rest of your other math students. I could’ve never asked for anyone better to teach us math over the internet. This has been my first time doing online courses and no matter how much I panic over not understanding things you’re always there to explain something or giving us help when we need it.
We love your random outbursts and your doodles you write on the whiteboard in class; Marica and I always get a good giggle out of them. We love looking at the new pictures you put on the sakai page every week because it always gives us something to yarn about. You’re so successful with all your awards and such and you should get a #1 teacher button because you deserve it!
You’re so enthusiastic about teaching and it’s amazing how you can put up with us sometimes. (Well, our math class isn’t that rough but you get what I mean 😉 Thank you for being so patient with us and being one of my favorite LEARN teachers. You don’t understand how much it means to all of us when we say how easy it is to get along with you and how we really enjoy your math class. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help us and thank you for anything else I might have missed.
Savannah
Mr. Ross,
I think I speak on behalf of all your LEARN students that you are doing a great job as our physics teacher!
Teaching from behind a computer monitor can be a challenging job it seems, but you seem to have adapted very well! I never thought we would be doing labs, in this course, but we have actually done several interesting ones. You always keep the class interesting with all the examples and scenarios you give, and you make sure everyone gets the material well before we move on.
I was also not a very organized person before your class, but I can feel myself improving in that as well!
Thank you for all your effort, and let’s finish off a great year!
Tyson
Dear Mrs.Cule,
Even though the year is far from over, I wanted to thank you for all that you have done and will do for me and the whole class this year. I want to thank you for all your patience and hard work. It must not always be easy to teach a bunch of teenagers online, but yet, you manage to do it amazingly!
I love how you share your love of chemistry with the class through tons of fun activities, exercises and experiments that we remember and enjoy so much more than reading a textbook and doing the textbook questions all year long! I believe diversity is one of your strength, just like your dedication. Preparing all these activities shows all of us how much you care and I will always be grateful for it.
I have always been the student who wants to do the best she can to assure herself the best future. In your class, I feel like all is planned to make sure of it, so that I don’t have to worry about missing something, or being scared to get to the end of year exam and rip my hair out because I don’t feel prepared at all. I know you always have our best interests in mind and that you will do everything you can for us to succeed. I know that even if I don’t understand something and feel discouraged, you will always have my back and that we will work through it together to make everything be fine in the end.
It is for all of this, and much more, that I am the luckiest chemistry student because I have you as a teacher.
Marianne
Dear Mrs. Pasteris,
First of all, thank you for putting up with all of us! I’d also like to thank you for all the hard work and effort you have put in for us to ensure we really understand the material.
I appreciate all of your dedication, hard work, patience and understanding. You are such a fantastic teacher! I remember when I couldn’t really understand the first chapter, and I just didn’t get how all the online stuff worked and how to understand it, but you made sure that I did and helped me through. Not all teachers are so caring and helpful like you have been. It must be so tough to do it as well over the internet rather than person to person. I can’t imagine the amount of patience you have with all of us.
I just really want to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate you and how much work and time you have put in for the class and me. Thank you so much Mrs. Pasteris! I hope we get to actually meet one day!
Sincerely,
Savannah
To all of Quebec’s teachers: Thank you and happy Teacher Appreciation Week to you all! What would be a meaningful teacher gift for you?
Students: Feel free to leave a comment to add thanks for your teacher(s). Let your teacher(s) know that you appreciate what they do for you and your classmates every day.
WOW! What a beautiful jest with equally beautiful thoughts expressed so succinctly by the students. As a teacher, I, too, am blessed by students who say “Thank you”, not because they are told to, but because that is who they are and it is what they do… naturally. One student’s gratitude can last a very, very long time.
Those teachers mentioned by name, and so many others, go the extra mile. Hats off to one and all!
I completely agree with all these thank you letters to all of the learn teachers and I think they are doing a wonderful job at teaching us. Even though at the beginning of the year I was stressed to have my chemistry, math and physics online, I realize that I couldn’t have done it without the teachers’ incredible devotion to each and every one of us everyday. Thank you 🙂
Dear Savannah: I am so happy to hear that you and Marica enjoy all those little things, especially because sometimes I feel a lot of it goes un-noticed. It is so nice of you to let me know that you DO notice! I love teaching you both, you are great people, and we are SO doing lunch when you get to Montreal!
Dear students: I am particularly touched by the sincerity of your words and the detailed examples you all gave – it really tells me of the type of people we are privileged to teach. Thank you all!
Dear Stephen: Thank you for your kind words, and also for the new Kohner quote I shall now use: “One student’s gratitude can last a very, very long time.”
Dear Dianne: No words. You are a rock. And you rock. You’re a rocking rock. 🙂
Dear Mrs. Cule,
I wanted to say thanks… for helping me out all the time when I know very well how annoying it must get. You are an amazing teacher, you make things easier to understand and you’re always there when I need help, have a question, just anything really and it’s really cool! 🙂 Thank you for all the work you put in, it shows and it is greatly appreciated 🙂 ! THANKS AGAIN ,
Marilyn
Dear Stephen, I am glad that your students recognize how lucky they are and have the good manners to express their gratitude.
Dear Cassandra and Marilyn, Thank you for adding your words of thanks! As Mr. Kohner says, “One student’s gratitude can last a very, very long time.”
To Audrey (and the rest of the online gang) – You’re the best!