How to say thank you?

[Still Riding]

How do you say thanx you to a good instructor?

There is one lap/clinical instructor that I never have had for any length of time other than once or twice a year over the past 3.5 years in my nursing program. But she has always been a fantastic teacher and always fair and wanting to help as much as possible even if it was answering questions that were not diretly related to her class.

She is the kind of instructor that not only makes me want to be a nurse and feel good about my future career but also maybe one day be a lab/clinical instructor.

Is it appropriate to send her an e-mail to tell her what I think, or would that be sucking up? I have nothing to gain I have finished all my labs and classes that she teaches, I just wanted to say thanx you and let here know that she makes a difference. would that be creepy?

thanx SR

[bookwormom]

It would be very nice to send her an email; she would be pleased. It's not creepy; every year I get a note or two from students. If you really want to do something for her, send a note also to the chairman of the department or the administrator of the program. They are always interested in good feedback.

PS Hard copy is also nice.

[slou!]

I think that would be really nice of you! I know too much these days people get commented on everything they are doing wrong, but not much that they are doing right. So I don't think it would be wrong at all for you to show your thanks. I also like the idea of telling the head of the department what a great job she is doing. I remember a couple of times at my job (just a part-time retail job) someone came up and told my manager how much of a help I was and that they really appreciated it and how they always told a manager when they weren't happy with our service so they would do the same when they were! I thought that was really nice and I always make it a point now to tell the manager or supervisor whenever I get really great service somewhere, because I know if I'm not happy with it I complain too! I think a card or an e-mail to the teacher would be nice :)

[-Midget-]

I agree. Personally, I don't think educators get enough thanks for the hard work they do. I also know how it makes me feel when people give me a compliment, or a kind word, or thanks for a job well done. I try to make people feel the same way, whenever posible. I think it's an excelent idea! I aslo second sending something to higher-ups in the department, to let them know what a great job she is doing!

[ruthiem]

as practice trainer it is difficult to guage if your lessons/skills labs are enjoyed so feedback is great.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I wholeheartedly agree with telling the director of the progam -- either through an existing course evaluation process or through a letter. Faculty members are evaluated just like other employees, and the feedback from students is one important element of the eval process. When students only give feedback when they have a complaint, then the only feedback the teacher (and administrator) has to use for the job eval is negative.

The lack of positive feedback from satisfied students is another reason for the faculty shortage and for poor faculty attitudes. When the only feedback you get is negative, it's hard to maintain a positive attitude about your job. That goes for faculty, too. You would be doing everyone a favor by providing some much-needed positive feedback for someone who has earned it.

llg

[RebeccaJeanRN]

I like sending a personal card of thanks...to TWO people: that instructor plus whoever she reports to or who runs the program. Thank her very warmly but also specifically (e.g. "I really appreciated the extra time you invested to see that we all understood patient care, and the role modeling of quality care that you personally provided..."). This written note is likely to be something that she will keep FOREVER and cherish, more than an email (because it can be put in a memory book and looks better). And the second one to her superior is designed to give credit where credit is due. Everyone loves hearing from 'above' how much you were appreciated or what a great job you did. Enjoying genuine and well earned feedback and praise never gets 'old'...people who teach LOVE it and live for it. So I do hope you make the time to actually DO it and how nice of you to think to!

[mamason]

The day before graduation, I placed thank you cards under each instructor's office door. In them I acknoweged all the times they went out of their way to help me during my time at their school. Some thanked me for them and other's didn't. But at least I let those instructor's know that I appreciated all of their time and effort had made a huge difference. And no....I wasn't a suck up either. I was the ONE STUDENT that they least expected it from.