Pinterest has made end-of-year gratitude into a three ring circus. Why is everyone filling Pinterest boards with a thousand different ways to stuff M&M's into a mason jar for your teacher. It's starting to feel, just disingenuous. As a teacher myself, I feel the pressure to give something even more meaningful to my son's teachers.
Luckily, I had forgotten about the issue completely as I have a few more final exams to proctor. As we were all sitting down to an early morning of number two pencils, a girl came up and dropped an envelope on my desk. In it was a handwritten note thanking me for the year. In the note, she used the grammar skills I taught her and included funny pictures of a husky with glasses and a book (Hey! I have a husky...and glasses...and lots of books!). The letter lifted my spirits in a way I couldn't have anticipated. And, of course, inspired this blog post!
So here is it, folks, this years BEST teacher appreciation gift: a handwritten, heartfelt, note.
