No Thank You Needed

I was telling a friend that a student thanked me for a good year and for making them like English for the first time. It was a nice moment in a long year that really meant something to me. My friend asked me if it bothered me that more students do not thank me. It was such a weird question. I really don't think about it, but here are some thoughts I shared with them.

I never signed up to teach for the thank you. Not just from students, but admins as well. This is a not a job where people can thrive on thank you. The look on a student's face when they finally understand something is worth more than any thank you they could offer. 

They thank yous I have received over the years are beautiful and are something I hold dear. I think we could all thank people more than we do for the nice things that happen every day. Maybe it's sad that I do not expect thanks for what I do every day for students. I just never got into teaching for the thanks. I got into teaching to maker a difference. I can do that without the thanks, but when I do get them, they are stored in a special place so I can revisit them when times are tough.

Take a moment and thank someone who is awesome. It will make their day.