This is a ‘Thank You’ to all the teachers out there–from the ones that directly affected me to the ones influencing countless other students. Teachers should be rock stars. They affect society the most by inspiring our children. They might not get the recognition they deserve, but their impact is immeasurable. Now, in somewhat chronological order and nowhere near complete…

Thank you for sponsoring the summer book-reading club. Pizza coupons and glittery pencils in exchange for a lifetime of loving to read? That is what I call a win-win situation.

Thank you for showing me the magic of science through baking soda and vinegar volcanoes. My parents and their decimated garden do not show the same gratitude.

Thank you for teaching my first computer class. Who knew a box that told turtles where to move would change the world?

Thank you for weaving together history and mathematics. I still remember how to correctly pronounce ‘Euler,’ use Pascal’s Triangle, and add from 1 to 100.

Thank you for creating the 50-states shoebox parade. I don’t remember much about Rhode Island, except that it has too many letters to fit on a shoebox.

Thank you for creating the history scavenger hunt. It was the last time I ever used the Dewey Decimal System.

Thank you for giving me such difficult engineering problem sets. It was very painful but taught me how to learn on my own and work with others.

Thank you for teaching me darts over hot wings and beer. I became fascinated and lost my half of the apartment deposit.

Thank you for using the Socratic Method. It simulates real world problem solving, and it was so scary to be called on I made sure to understand everything.

Thank you for telling me I will not fail. Sometimes it just takes one believer.

Thank you for telling I will fail. It is very fun to do what others say you cannot do.

And special thanks to our Educator professors who believed in us when we had nothing to show except an idea and the determination to get it done!

What are you thankful for?

-Eric