Are you a student and wish to thank your substitute teacher who covered the extra mile to help you with a new skill or project? Or are you a parent and want to let your kid’s substitute teacher know your appreciation for their time and hard work? Whatever may be the exact reason, you could be searching for the right phrases to write a thank you letter to a substitute teacher. Check out this article on how to write an effective thank-you note along with some useful samples.
What is a Thank You Letter to Substitute Teacher?
Any teacher including a substitute teacher works for long hours each week but hardly gets any credit for their efforts and labor. These are the people who spend a lot of extra time in the classrooms and try to make a difference in the life of each student.
They plan your kids’ lesson sessions, craft projects, and decorations, and also use their money to purchase different supplies for their classrooms that were not given to them for some reason. It is thanks to their efforts that our children find, develop, and learn specific passions and interests.
For all these reasons and even more, it is crucial to take out some time to let your child’s substitute teacher know how much thankful you are. Writing a thank you letter to a substitute teacher may initially appear to be insignificant. However, it can make a significant difference sometimes.
If you write a heartfelt and sincere thank you note to a substitute teacher, you are letting them feel that their labor has not gone unacknowledged. If you are all set to learn, follow the instructions given in this guide properly.
When Is A Thank You Letter To Substitute Teacher Required?
While most teachers, including substitute teachers, put a lot of effort to prepare students for their higher classes, many parents often overlook their contributions.
A properly written thank you letter to the substitute teachers is a sensible way to express your appreciation and gratitude for them. However, the thank you note that you write should have a sincere tone and articulate your emotions clearly. After all, just like regular teachers, even substitute teachers spend innumerable hours to help your little ones grow and learn. So, why should you not demonstrate your gratitude to a significant influencer in the life of your kid?
Tips for Writing an Effective Thank You Letter to Substitute Teacher
If you are all set to write an effective thank you letter to the substitute teacher, ensure that you have the required personal stationery with you. Once you have got that, follow these tips to write your letter.
· Address the substitute teacher properly while beginning your letter. Ensure you are sure whether the concerned teacher likes to go by “Ms.” “Miss”, “Mrs.”, or “Mr.” You should use the same title in the letter and on the envelope.
· Start the letter with an appropriate greeting. Examples of proper greetings could be “To,”, “Dear.” or simply the name of the substitute teacher and a comma.
· Mention their exact contribution that inspired you to write a thank you note to them and how their kind act helped your child. It can be devoting some additional time after the class to solve a math question. It can be also as big a problem as protecting your child from being bullied by other classmates. No matter what the reason was, let them know, why it was important to you.
· Do not forget to mention the magic words “Thank You!” The two simple words may be overlooked while writing a lengthy letter. Yet, it is imperative to include them in the note.
· End your letter with an appropriate closing. Some appropriate sign-off words can be “Sincerely”, “Thank you again”, “Warm Wishes”, or “All the best”.
Some other handy tips for writing the thank you note are as follows:
1. Begin your letter with an empty piece of paper– You should brainstorm and jot down words or memories coming to mind when you think of this substitute teacher. It also means you should utilize the time for organizing your thoughts and get into the crux of what and why you wish to express your gratitude in the letter. You may think about the following:
· Think about the experience of your little one in the class and any positive incidents they shared with you about this substitute teacher.
· What is this teacher like? What do you know about the person?
· Think about your interactions with the teacher. Did you have any positive experiences with them?
· The words you would use for describing the substitute teacher to someone else.
2. Prefer to send a handwritten letter– A handwritten letter can add a personal touch and is more appreciable as compared to a letter typed on a computer. An office supply store is an excellent means to find economical stationery. Some shops sell packs, which include matching envelopes and decorated cards. However, you may use blank paper as well. It will give your little one and you a chance to include artwork later. The substitute teacher can appreciate personal artwork too.
3. You can put together your thank you note now– Utilize the notes you wrote in the first step to assist you in writing your thank you note. Begin your letter by thanking the teacher for something specific. Explain how their act or acts helped your little one. You may use the words you are at ease with and keep sentences short.
4. Be gracious and customize the letter-You may contemplate the different ways to customize your thank you note to make it unique for this particular teacher. Also, take this opportunity and be gracious in the letter. Although you might not have got along with the teacher always, there should be a specific reason for you to praise them in your thank you note.
5. Sign your thank you letter– Finally, before ending your thank you note, you should thank this substitute teacher once again and put your signature. You may include a formality before the signature, such as:
· My deepest thanks
· Best regards
· Yours truly
· Warmest regards
· With kind regards
· Sincerely
6. You may get your kid involved too- Irrespective of the grade in which your kid is in; they can assist in adding an extra personal touch to the thank you letter. An artwork or individual drawings can be an excellent choice. A separate thank you praise or note written by your little one can be also great. How about helping your little one to collect some cutouts from materials received from the classroom to decorate, color, and sign. You may also include the following:
· Is your little one in Elementary School? You may assist them in writing a brief thank you according to their writing abilities. Else, in case there is an artist on the hands, motivate them now. You may suggest they draw a portrait of this teacher or images of objects they recollect from their class. For instance, doodles can be great!
· Is your child in High school or Middle school? You may tell them to write ½ to 1 page describing their favorite memory in that class.
· In case your kid has any special requirements, help them to draw pictures or write notes to the best of their ability. You may help them to decorate the thank you note using glitter or stickers. You may also include a picture for your child to decorate.
7. Add a small optional gift– In case you make up your mind to also send a gift; try to keep it as small as possible. Avoid spending a lot of money on this gift. You can easily come across plenty of excellent gift ideas for your thank you note, which do not cost a great deal. You may try including any of the following for the gift:
· Give them flowers. If you are aware of an excellent shop to shop for wildflowers, arrange a bouquet with your kid and gift them to the substitute teacher.
· You may also visit a nursery in your locality and choose a plant to gift to the teacher. You may also choose a plant that can survive indoors. How about including a small vase or a self-watering pot with the plant you intend to gift to this teacher?
· You may also gift them an attractive goodie bag. Try to get a superior quality tote bag from an office supply store or a bookstore. Work with your little one to fill this bag with goodies such as post-its, highlighters, etc.
· Gift cards can be another great option. There is hardly any teacher who would not appreciate a gift card for enjoying coffee and snacks in Starbucks. You need to ensure that the value of the card is reasonable and not too high or low.
You should remember that the thank you note need not be too lengthy to be more meaningful. Your thoughts for the teacher matter more. When writing the thank you note, take care of the spelling and grammar part although it could be a thank you note to the science teacher. A great way to send a substitute teacher is to send a card could be during school hours when the teacher is not available. You may leave the letter on their desk. It shows that you do not have any desire to bother them. They can go through the letter whenever they can.
Samples of Thank You Letter To Substitute Teacher
Sample Letter 1
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s address
Date
Address of the Receiver
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
Thank you so much for taking out the extra time after school hours and during breaks to help my child [Name of the child] with his/her science problems. I can see how much her/his confidence level has gone up after your support. You have made a big impact!
Sincerely,
(Sender’s Name)
Sample Letter 2
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s address
Date
Address of the Receiver
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
I wished to inform you how much of an influence you made while you were a substitute teacher in 7th grade. You taught me how to have patience and not give up when I had issues with my study load, and how to surpass my own expectations. With your support, I began to explore other opportunities and expectations. Without all your care and attention I never would have found the confidence to move forward and find my passion in my studies. Thank you for everything you have done!
Sincerely,
(Sender’s Name)
Sample Letter 3
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s address
Date
Address of the Receiver
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
Thank you very much for all your hard work. We feel so lucky that (child name) got you for a substitute teacher this year. (S)he loves to talk about everything (s)he is learning and doing in your classroom.
Thanks again,
(Sender’s Name)
Sample Letter 4
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s address
Date
Address of the Receiver
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you so much for everything you do for us! All your fun activities and interesting lesson plans have taught me so much this year, and I always look forward to coming to class. You are the best!
Sincerely,
(Sender’s Name)
Sample Letter 5
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s address
Date
Address of the Receiver
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
My child [student’s name] is enjoying your class this year! He/she is excited about all the projects you do with the class. We really appreciate your efforts. My child, [student’s name] is learning more about [class subject] than ever before!
Thanks again,
(Sender’s Name)
Sample Letter 6
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s address
Date
Address of the Receiver
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
My child [student’s name] can’t stop praising you whenever he/she returns from school. We really appreciate the care and love, which you have been showering to all your students including our little one. Our kid will really miss you when he/she is promoted to the next class.
Sincerely,
(Sender’s Name)
Sample Letter 7
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s address
Date
Address of the Receiver
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
I would like to thank you for the care and effort you took of my child (child name) when he/she was in grade II. The way you motivated him/her during the short tenure is really praiseworthy. I have lately observed a lot of positive changes in my child.
Thank you for your hard work and kindness.
Warm Regards,
(Sender’s Name)