2nd grader's year end thank-you note is another reminder America needs to treasure its teachers

In a post shared on Reddit by u/pettypiranhaplant, their second-grader daughter named Mia wrote an unfiltered thank-you message for her teacher with their help at the end of the school year, and every line reads like a direct window into how deeply young students notice care, patience, and consistency. The parents said they initially asked Mia for a few thoughts to help write a standard thank-you card. But once she started talking, they couldn't stop writing. "I never get much information out of my daughter, but she was so ready to talk about this woman that I quickly jotted it all down so I could share it," they explained in their post.

Mia began with the basics, describing what she loves about the teacher, "I love her because she is kind. She has been my favorite teacher so far because she is generous and she lets me go to the nurse when I need to." She went on to describe everything about her, including her pets, her listening style, and how she handles outbursts. From there, it turned into a full reflection on everything her teacher did to make her feel safe, heard, and supported. "She lets me talk about the things I know a lot about, like my butterfly reviews and Jumpy the spider. She doesn’t yell at me when I talk out loud, she just tells me to stop, and when we’re talking to her, she doesn’t talk, she waits for us to calm down and finish, and then she helps," she said. It is vastly surprising to see basic activities like going to the nurse for medicines or first aid, or being able to speak in class, being listed as exclusive attributes of one single teacher. It pushes us to wonder what kind of environment is normally present in all schools.

Mia also noticed the little things, from being allowed to stand up when needed to getting the right kind of paper after bleeding through the wrong one. "She says it's okay when something is wrong and she lets me tell her in private. She makes everything better," Mia said. She added that she would "miss her over the summer." This kind of emotional clarity and attentiveness in a second grader also reflects something else: good parenting and consistent support at home. This is where Mia learnt what 'good' traits were, how to be appreciative, and how to stand up for herself.

According to a study conducted by the NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, increases in parental involvement throughout elementary school are closely linked to improved social behavior and stronger classroom adjustment. The letter ended with Mia adding one final request, "Can I put a joke in there!? Put: What did one carton of milk say to the other carton of milk when they were arguing? We gotta get to the BOTTOM of this!" She even explained the reason, saying, "Because you have to drink to the bottom of the milk carton! Put the reason in there because she might not get it."

Readers were touched by the letter and showed equal parts gratitude and emotion. u/billieboop commented, "Letters and appreciation like this for educators mean so much. They work so hard, and good teachers deserve to hear they're acknowledged for their sincere work. I'm sure she will be so touched by this. P.S. Her milk joke made me laugh!" u/MoonFlowerDaisy added, "I want to be friends with that teacher now too. She sounds great, and so does your daughter." u/ThatsTennis shared, "Good teachers can be hard to come by, and letters like this keep them in the education system so more kids can experience this sort of joy and caring in their learning environment."