Thanking Our Teachers
By Tana M. Mann Easton, Lead Efficiency Engineer
School is starting around the country! It’s an exciting time, but pandemic has complicated this school year and made this a stressful time for teachers. I’ve been blessed with an extraordinary amount of great teachers in my life. I had it on my heart to thank them for their contributions to me throughout the years, and a couple of months ago, I finally sat down and started reaching out to some of them and telling them about the difference they made in my life. I gave them a brief update on my life and then thanked them for the specific things that they taught me. For some of them, it was a connection that I felt with them personally. For some of them, they highlighted something that I did well that I hadn’t noticed before. Some of them taught me very specific forms of knowledge that I’ve carried with me.
I’ve been away from school for 20 years, but I was still able to find the vast majority of my teachers and professors on Facebook. Some were on LinkedIn. I Googled others to find their addresses and mailed them a card with my appreciation.
I sent my notes out with no expectation of response from anyone, but I received responses back. It was nice to catch up with these people who made a difference in my life. I was surprised that some of them hadn’t been explicitly thanked like this from a student before. Some of them are still teaching, and during the uncertainty of dealing with education in a pandemic, my words provided a positive boost in their energy.
Are there any special teachers in your life? Or in the lives of your children? Consider sending them a digital or hard copy note thanking them for what they taught you or what they meant for you; remember to be specific so they know the depth of your gratitude. If you can’t find their contact information anywhere, just directing your grateful energy in their direction in your mind might give them a boost on their end. Say a prayer for them. Tell a grateful story about them to someone who knew them as well. Even if you don’t get a response (and I encourage you to send your thank you with a loving heart that needs nothing in return), sending appreciative energy out into the world can brighten up your own day. Did you know that from a neurochemical standpoint, the state of gratitude disallows the neurochemical profile of anxiety, worry, and fear to be absorbed. Imagine the power of being able to switch off fear by simply expressing and feeling deep gratuity. Right now, our teachers can use all the positive energy and help that we can give them. Thank you to all of the teachers out there! May those of us who encounter you bring you the patience and love you deserve.
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Productively Yours,
Focus to Evolve Team