Students read letters to teachers who believed in them and the teachers quietly fall apart

You never know how crucial a small word of gratitude can be to a person. Cut shared an emotional clip of several students sharing the power of acknowledgment by thanking their teachers. They remembered one educator who made a significant difference in their lives when they needed it most, and wrote them one touching letter each. They also read their pieces out loud. By the time they were finished, each of the teachers had a heart-melting reaction that highlighted what a simple, heartfelt thanks can do. Present to listen to the students' words were 7th-grade radio teacher Joe Bryant, 10th-grade Chemistry teacher Nicole Thomas Sally, and Mr. Washington.

Each student appeared live on screen as the teachers sat on a couch with headphones, unaware of the thanks about to flood them. Speaking to Bryant, one of his students, Molly, revealed that she wrote the letter to share the impact he had on her. She recounted the first day of school, when the man was doing introductions with his students. When the young girl said her name out loud, Bryant responded, "Wow, now that's a voice made for radio.” “I know this is a sentence you've probably said multiple times to so many other people, but it was one of the most impactful things that someone's said to me,” she revealed.

Molly shared how she was mocked for her low voice and was constantly told that girls shouldn’t sound like that. “Because of you, Joe, I learned to be less insecure about my voice and not care what people said,” she confidently said. As Bryant listened, his gaze got softer, with a kind of relief and joy coming through. The student went on to share how things got hard with her mental health dropping to a point where she didn’t even want to wake up and go to school — until the radio teacher changed it with his charm. “I can genuinely say that you saved my life, Joe, and without you, I doubt I would be here right now,” she added.

Baylor University's Psychology researchers, Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., and Jo-Ann Tsang, Ph.D., revealed that gratitude does more than just acknowledge what a person has done; it gives purpose and makes another feel seen. “Expressing and feeling gratitude allows us to recognize we're part of something bigger. And that feels a lot less lonely. It expands and can transform a relationship or a community,” Schnitker said. She recommended writing letters or emails to express thanks, whether it’s for the little or great things, noting that it benefits both the sender and the receiver. “So have the courage to reach out and thank them. We find that when people feel genuine gratitude, not only do they want to pay it back, but they also want to pay it forward,” she remarked.

Another student read her letter to her teacher, Sally. She explained how she was always insecure and refrained from interacting and having a circle to avoid being bullied. “You showing that appreciation and taking the time sparked that idea that I'm worth more than I think I am,” she said. She mentioned that she often thinks about this feeling, and it keeps her going. Yet another young man, Carl, shared with his teacher, Mr. Washington, how he taught him to interact with people. He recalled not knowing how to be calm and kind to others, but his teacher’s guidance shaped him until he was better. “You were like a father figure to me. You really were in my life when I was going from home to home, and I never really had someone to guide me,” Carl added. 

Each of the teachers felt relieved; their eyes were teary with emotion. While one bit his lip to hold back tears, the other was already bawling, and still another hid his tears with a smile. That wasn’t just gratitude; it was a certificate of a job well done. It was proof they had lived up to their titles as teachers and more. “Teaching is a really, really hard job, and you don't ever, or you rarely get to hear that from your students,” Sally remarked. “It hits hard, man,” Mr. Washington added. “You never know if you're able to really help a kid. And so just sharing that, I appreciate that,” he remarked. 

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