She lost faith in teaching until she got a 7th grader’s letter — she didn’t realize how much she needed it
'I wanted to teach because being in school was so hard for me and I loved my teachers.'
Teaching has often been deemed an ungrateful occupation due to the sheer amount of disrespect teachers face in their daily lives. When an art teacher (u/usuallyamess) was on the verge of losing hope in her profession, a seventh grader's letter addressed "To: My Miss Honey" changed her mind and brought her to tears. What months of backbreaking work broke within her, a child's innocent words fixed almost instantly. Sharing the handwritten note decked with swirly doodles on Reddit on December 23, the post left online users awestruck.
u/usuallyamess works as an art teacher at a large school and meets over 520 kids every week. While she enjoys her profession, she has recently been feeling underwhelmed while teaching. "I feel like my experiences with the kids get lost, and to be honest, it makes me sad 'cause I wanted to teach because being in school was so hard for me and I loved my teachers," she wrote. However, as she began to lose hope in teaching, one student's letter revived her faith. One of her seventh graders penned a heartfelt note expressing her gratitude toward their "Miss Honey" and poured their heart out about why they wanted to thank their teacher.
Referencing Embeth Davidtz's character "Miss Honey" from the 1996 film Matilda, the student thanked their teacher for being there for them during tough times. "The amount of times you have sat there and listened to me yap my brain off, listen to my problems, my opinions, and my struggles makes me happy (that I've) someone like you," the student wrote. They appreciated the teacher for not judging their complaints and for giving them space to express themselves freely. "It's like the universe knew I needed a trusted adult through my 7th-8th grade years," they added. The letter continued, "I hope you know that you have gotten me through many problems and struggles during my 7th grade years and you are still doing this year." Wishing their teacher a Merry Christmas, the student concluded, "With all the love I have for you, a Merry Christmas and that everything you want, you get."
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Teaching and Teacher Education analyzed how students' expressions of gratitude improve teachers’ professional well-being. A survey of 413 teachers confirmed that gratitude strengthens teacher-student relationships, which then enhance professional identity and well-being, and an experiment with 201 teachers found that those who received gratitude letters reported higher relationship quality, stronger identity, and greater well-being than those who did not. The findings noted gratitude as a simple, low-cost classroom practice that can boost morale and support teacher retention. The letter not only helped the art teacher realize the impact she had on the student but also encouraged a positive cycle in her professional growth.
Soon after the post went viral, many users shared their wholesome reactions. u/GranddaddyPurple25 wrote, "You made a difference in someone’s life. Not many people do. This is something to be proud of as an educator. You rock." u/rosie6792 commented, "this is so sweet, you sound amazing! thank you for being there for her." u/ChocolateSundai wrote, "This is so touching omg I would cry my eyes out."
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