This. I’m a teacher, and I have about a thousand gift mugs stuck in a closet, but I will hang on to that raggedy half torn post it note that says, “Thank you Mr. [Name] for helping me :)” literally until the day I die.
In my desk, I have a special folder full of notes from students that I look at when I have a bad day.
We don’t do it for the money, we do it to help you have a better life. So when students tell us we helped, the feeling is incredible.
If you want to make sure it doesn’t get mistaken for romantic feelings, just think, “Would I feel weird saying this to my Aunt/Uncle?” while writing it.
Some potential sentence starters:
What I appreciated most about being in your class was…
One time you really helped me was when…
Something you really helped me understand was…
The one thing you should never stop doing in class is…