Have You Thanked a Student Lately?

Thank you......

Isn't it nice to hear those two simple words when we've done something well? When is the last time that you thanked any of your VLA students?

As I was grading last week, I realized that one of my students had gone above and beyond the usual effort given by other students. She had used proper grammar and spelling. She had given more information than what was required, and her answers were very well thought out. She made a pleasant comment at the end. Overall, her unit was a pleasure to grade.

I could have just graded the unit, told her "nice job", and moved on to the next student's work. Instead, I took the time to thank her for the extra effort that she had given. I told her that I truly appreciated her using correct grammar and spelling, and I let her know that her answers were easy to understand. I wanted her to know that her efforts were recognized and appreciated.

If you happen to see a unit that is better than usual for a particular student, or if you can tell that a student put forth more effort than students usually do, be sure to recognize that. Maybe send the student an extra encouraging comment at the end of the unit. Or email him or her a separate message recognizing the quality work. You could even attach a "thank you" image from the Internet. You can find images like this by going to http://images.google.com/ and typing "thank you" in the search bar. Download a picture, and attach it to an email to your student. Add your note, and you have your own electronic thank you note.

There are many ways to do it, but letting your students know that you appreciate their hard work is a great motivator!