No matter what you do for a career or how successful you are, chances are you would not be where you are today if you had not obtained a K-12 education. Without a question, great educators are important. However, in the last year or two, educators around the country have gone on strike and protested for better salaries and working conditions.

The basic fact is that educators put forward a lot of effort and receive little in return. How can we show educators how much we appreciate all of their hard work and sacrifices? By devising new ways to express gratitude. In this piece, I will discuss three ways to express gratitude to educators.

• Kindly send a letter. Send a note to the instructors who have inspired or challenged you to be your best self. Tell them that you wouldn’t have the life you have now if it weren’t for them. It will just take 15-30 minutes to write the letter, and I am confident that it will brighten the day of your former teachers. Invite them to supper or inquire if you may visit them. I’m sure they’d love to catch up with you and hear all about what you’re up to now.
• Support their right to a raise in pay. Educators’ pay is the lowest of the low when compared to other vital professions. When I hear stories about educators working several jobs simply to make ends meet, it makes me angry. As I have stated, teaching is the job that allows all other professions to exist. Why, on earth, do they have to go on strike to be paid what they deserve? Support educators’ right to increased pay by protesting alongside them if you wish to thank them. Alternatively, send an email to your Governor and other government authorities outlining your position on the topic. If they want your vote in their next reelection, they need to start treating teachers with dignity.
• Contribute to a teaching project. Educators all across the world launch GoFundMe or DonorsChoose.org campaigns to raise funds for classroom projects, technology, or supplies. If you know a teacher who is trying to raise funds for a project, please help them. If you don’t, go to one of these websites and look for a worthwhile teacher project to finance. It might cost you a small amount of money, but the impact that these educators’ projects will have on the world will truly make it a better place.

What did I overlook? How else can we express our gratitude to educators?