Saying thank you to teachers at secondary school?

[roisin]

ds1 had a fabulous time at primary and we worried that secondary couldn't possibly be better.

But it has been! The teaching has been superb and he is just blossoming and academically he is just flying.

In particular there are some teachers where the quality of their marking is superb, they clearly put a huge amount of effort into differentiating the work appropriately (ds1 is taught entirely in mixed ability classes), and they also motivate/inspire the pupils, so ds1 is keen and enthusiastic to get on and complete his homework to the highest possible ability.

If I were to write in to school and particularly mention these staff (History, MFL, Science, Maths and the Librarian) then it kind-of implies his other teachers aren't much cop. And they are. They're all superb, it's just these ones are even more superb!

The nicest thank yous I've had have been at Open Evenings / Days or Parents' Evenings when parents have thanked me personally for some particular contribution to their DC's progress or whatever. I'm usually a) surprised and b) pleased that they have taken the trouble to share it with me. I really don't expect thanks but, like anyone else, am pleased when it happens.

Seeing a pupil making progress is rewarding and , occasionally, they will spontaneously thank you either explicitly or in a less direct way when they've enjoyed a lesson.
So since your ds is making such excellent progress I guess his teachers are pretty happy too

You could write and say they are all suberb but that you'd particularly like to mention ... for their outstanding efforts above & beyond etc etc..

sigh.....

I received not one thankyou this year....

And I tried really hard!

So I would say ANYTHING that says thanks. A presonal [honecall, nice card,message to the manager. A chocolate orange would suit me...

I think my sixthformers are far too busy with cars and girls.

Or I'm just crap

No - you are not crap, I'm sure, mumblecrumble! Some years it is just like that!

This year, my yr 13 have been almost ott thanking me and buying me gifts - last year nothing I think I had one thank you. I haven't done anything differently.

I agree - any thanks will be greatly appreciated. One parent gave me flowers and a card this year, but that is only because I effectively gave their son several hours of free private tuition. It really is quite rare to be thanked by a parent at the end of the school year at secondary.

I am just wrapping up wine and chocolate for Ds's 6th form teachers ATM....am feeling very glad that I have remembered to do it. I am sorry to hear that it doesn't happen often.

IMO the secondary teachers do a fantastic job and deserve some appreciation.

A letter is lovely. I got one a couple of years back which mentioned some support I'd sepcifically given to a student in my class and it was nice to get some reconition for something we do all the time. The Headteacher photocopied it and put it in my pigeon hole. Secondary teachers do really badly with thankyous etc. Sometimes think some of our parents just see us as a free babysitting service. That said a bunch of boys I taught (big rugby sized 16 year olds) bought me a bunch of flowers, a bottle of wine, some chocolates and a lovely card. I tried to ignore the fact they probably managed to buy the wine without an adult!