What Makes Music Teachers Feel Most Appreciated?

All year long, we feel a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for music teachers and their pivotal role in helping the world experience the joy of making music. Every day, teachers are shaping the lives of their students, and working to inspire a lifelong love of learning, teaching, and playing music.

Want to know the best ways to #ThankATeacher this week (or anytime)? Keep reading for some ideas!

“A thank you email or card goes a long way! Also, I love getting a rad gift that has nothing to do with teaching—wine, gift card, etc.”

“The best gift is the ‘Aha!’ moment, when a kid finds their voice. After that, it’s a card or a note.”

“Parents who volunteer to help in my classroom, cut apart stuff for bulletin boards, make popcorn for parties, or help clean and straighten up the room.”

“My proudest moments as a teacher are when my students have gone on to use the skills I have taught them, from performing at weddings to teaching others to pay the guitar.”

“The looks on [students’] faces when it just clicks. Comments on how much the music meant to them on a certain Sunday (church musician here).”

“I feel appreciated when students leave me notes or little pieces of artwork, completely unsolicited. That kid took time out of their day to tell me how much they value my class. I save them all.”

“When ‘they’ show up. Admin, specifically.”

“Oddly enough, I loved it when something went really really wrong in class… I’d cut [the students] off, they’d look at me… and then we’d crack up together! They knew it wasn’t good, so did I, but we would work together to make it better. They trust me enough to fail.”

“I just had a student return from a month long trip, and she brought me back a souvenir.”

“I’ve had a few clients over the years give me a bonus. Being self-employed, you often miss out on some of the perks of working for a larger company, and I always really appreciated their thoughtfulness.”

What makes you feel appreciated as a teacher? Or how have you shown appreciation to one of your teachers? Let us know in the comments below!