If you’re trying to think up nice things to say about your teacher—or your kid’s teacher—you’re in the right place.
Teachers are vastly underpaid for the work they do.
The least we can do is thank them.
Below, you’ll find a list of 67 carefully crafted messages of appreciation for teachers.
We bet you’ll find more than one ideal for your situation.
How Do You Write Good Feedback for a Teacher?
Start with a list of things you appreciate about the teacher you have in mind:
- They’ve helped your child not only understand but enjoy a difficult subject;
- They’ve lit a fire in your kid to serve their community or to reach a particular goal;
- They’ve cared enough to get to know your kid and build a connection with them.
The more you’re thinking of all the things you love about this teacher, the easier it is to identify the best teacher appreciation words to share with them.
67 Heartfelt and Sincere Compliments for Teachers
We’ve divided this collection of the best compliments for teachers into three categories, based on the role of the one expressing appreciation: parent, student, or principal.
Compliments from Parents / Guardians
1. Thank you! I’ll always be grateful [student’s name] had you as their teacher.
2. You’ve changed everything for [student’s name]. They’re much happier with you in their life. Thank you for that!
3. You give our son/daughter something to look forward to at school.
4. From what I’ve seen, I believe you genuinely care about our son/daughter. And I can’t thank you enough.
5. I’m grateful our kids have a teacher like you in their school. And I wish more teachers were as caring and fun as you (clearly) are.
6. Good teachers should never be taken for granted. I’m grateful for you, for our kids’ sake, and for our own.
7. I feel less nervous about dropping our kids off at school, knowing you’re there and that you genuinely care about your students.
8. If you don’t have kids of your own, I hope you know how great you are with ours—and how much they enjoy school, thanks to you.
9. I asked [student’s name] whom they’d like to have over for dinner sometime, and it took less than a second for them to say your name. So, what’s a good day for you?
10. You have no idea what you’ve done. [Student’s name] looks forward to school, now, and that’s a first for them. We blame you. And by that, I mean, THANK YOU!
11. Your passion for teaching is contagious. [Student’s name] is so eager to learn more about the subjects you teach that they’re always coming to me with new discoveries.
12. You’ve made an enormous impact on [student’s name]. They’ve always struggled with [subject], but now, thanks to you, it’s their favorite.
13. You saw something in [student’s name] that few, if any, of his other teachers bothered to notice. You’re still their favorite teacher.
14. My ten-year-old came home and tried to teach me what they learned in your class. You’ve made a huge, positive difference in their self-perception.
15. From what we’ve seen, you’re exactly the teacher [student’s name] needs right now. And we couldn’t be more grateful!
16. Your influence has helped [student’s name] become a much better listener.
17. Not every teacher bothers to connect with their students. We’re glad you do.
18. You’ve set such an excellent example for [student’s name], and it shows in the way they talk to their younger siblings at home.
19. Thank you for drawing [student’s name] out and helping them grow. I love their new confidence!
20. I had to try homeschooling before I fully appreciated all you do for [student’s name].
21. Thank you for treating our child as a human being who deserves respect and understanding.
22. Thank you for showing [student’s name] what it means to be a good teacher. It’s evident to all of us that you care.
23. I can’t tell you how it felt to watch you interact with [student’s name] during the open house. I can see why they like you.
Compliments from Students
1. Thanks to you, math finally makes sense to me.
2. Thanks to you, I love reading now.
3. I’m so glad you’re my teacher! You make me look forward to school.
4. School sucks less when you’re here. Please don’t ever get sick.
5. I’ve never met a teacher who could make [subject] fun…until you.
6. I know being a teacher is hard, and they don’t pay you nearly enough for all that you do. So, thank you!
7. You and your influence are a big part of who I am right now and how far I’ve come.
8. You’re the first teacher I had who really saw me and cared about who I was, not just how quickly I could get my work done.
9. You never once looked at me like I was a problem student, even with all my quirks and my challenging behavior.
10. I hope you have kids who want to be teachers — and who learn from you how to be good ones.
11. I’ve never once heard that “Why don’t you get it?” sound in your voice. It means a lot.
12. If you ever stop being a teacher, you’d make a great counselor.
13. I had a tough time choosing a career path, but you helped steer me in the right direction.
14. When I was being bullied, you helped me stand up for myself. Now, I do the same for other kids.
15. I will always be glad I asked you to recommend books to me. Those books have changed my life for the better.
16. I see how you’re always ready to help every student in your class — even the prickly ones, like me.
17. No other teacher has challenged my thinking the way you have, and I’ll always be grateful to you.
18. Every time someone asks me for help, I remember you and try to help them as you’ve helped me.
19. You’ve modeled real patience for me. I bet you’ve never thrown a meatloaf at anyone. Thank you for raising the bar.
20. Thank you for your sense of humor. It’s helped me get through the most brutal years.
21. Thank you for helping me see what I’m good at and for taking pride in my progress.
22. Thank you for encouraging me to take steps toward becoming the person I want to be. You’re exactly the teacher I needed.
23. I’m giving you at least partial credit for the writing award I earned this year for a story you encouraged me to write.
24. I can count on one hand (with fingers left) the number of people who believed in me. Thank you for being one of them.
25. You’re the gold standard of teachers. Thank you for being the best part of going to school.
26. I wish all my teachers were like you — at least in all the best ways. And I will never forget you.
27. I can always count on you to challenge my assumptions and help me see things from different angles.
28. You’re still my favorite teacher and the one who comes to mind when my kids ask me about my school years.
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Compliments from Principals and Fellow Teachers
1. We need more teachers like you. You’re everything a teacher should be.
2. I’d clone you, if I could. Every school needs teachers like you.
3. I wish every parent out there had the peace of mind of knowing their kids had at least one teacher like you.
4. It’s an honor to teach in the same school with you. I’ve learned plenty just by watching the way you interact with your students.
5. Every student who’s ever told me about you has had only good things to say.
6. I have a list of parents who’ve requested you for their kids. You may have set a new record.
7. I should probably be jealous that so many parents request you for their kids, but I’m too busy being proud of you.
8. After seeing you with your students, I can wholeheartedly reassure their parents that you care about their kids.
9. I’ve seen how you are around your students, and I couldn’t be prouder to have teaching at this school.
10. Teachers like you are as rare as houses without a single questionable paint color.
11. Your students are lucky to have you as their teacher for at least one year of their lives.
12. I don’t know what life experiences shaped you into the teacher you are. I’m just glad I know you and get to work with you.
13. I wouldn’t have read half the books I’ve read if it weren’t for your influence.
14. You’re the teacher I want to be when I grow up.
15. Just when I think I couldn’t be more impressed by you, you prove me wrong.
16. You give me hope that we still have good people who genuinely love teaching making it their career of choice. Thank you for choosing this school.
Now that you’ve looked through all 67 compliments for teachers, which ones stood out for you? And which will you use first?