At the end of every fall and spring semester the OTLT Center for Teaching Thank-a-Teacher program provides an online process through which students can submit notes of appreciation to exceptional faculty members, lecturers, or teaching assistants. The comments will be included in a letter from the OTLT Center for Teaching that is emailed to the instructor.  

Here are samples of slightly abridged notes from students:

Your class was my first ever at college, and walking in the first day I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know anyone in the room, and I honestly had no idea what this class was even about. Now, looking back on my first semester, I am so glad that I was able to be in your class! You are an amazing teacher. I had to study and practice the material often in order to do well, but that didn’t make me like it any less.

Thank you so much for carefully grading our homework and pointing out my mistakes. Although I was disappointed about the points deducted, I appreciate that you wrote down where I was wrong and why.

Even though [this class] was very far from my major, it was by far my favorite class. You made me rethink what I want to do with my life in a good way.

You made the class more bearable at 8am. You did a great job teaching a hard subject. So thank you for being a great TA! You always presented yourself in a manner which demonstrated your passion for the subject matter and your interest in effectively teaching.

I truly appreciate all the extra time you took out of your busy schedule to meet with me when I struggled to grasp course content. I really feel that it was your encouragement and patience that allowed me to succeed.

You made a big difference to me this semester. I came into this class second-guessing my decision to be a major. You never made me feel stupid for asking a question. And that made a huge difference. I’m coming out this semester, this class, feeling 100% sure that I picked the right major, and I am much more confident. Thank you.