Say Thanks to that Teacher Who Made a Big Impact on Your Life

Long after our school days are over and we've moved on to careers and families, many of us still fondly recall a certain teacher in our life who made a big impact through his or her inspirational teaching, personable style or one-on-one attention.

You can't underestimate the value of a good teacher.

On Tuesday, May 7, the National Education Association will celebrate the 33rd annual National Teacher Day, a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make.

In recognition of National Teacher Day, we're asking Patch readers to recall that one teacher that made a significant impact on their life and tell us about him or her in the "comments" section below. 

The national educational nonprofit, Kars4kids, recently conducted a national survey about ways teachers impact us long after we've graduated.

Here are the results:

• 80 percent of adults recognize that their work ethic, time spent as a community volunteer and even career choice was a direct result of teachers who inspired them in the classroom.

• 78 percent of U.S. adults had an out-of-classroom experience with their teacher enhancing their learning, including before- or after-school activities.

• 61 percent believe that teacher taught them skills outside of the standard curriculum.

• Nearly three quarters of adults said they would want their children to have the same teachers they did.

• 75 percent of adults do not express appreciation to their former teachers although the same 75 percent of respondents acknowledge that their teachers had a direct impact on their future successes.

• More than half of U.S. adults feel the teachers who had the biggest impact in their lives were educators in grades nine-12.

• The survey also revealed that nearly 40 percent of respondents would like to see excellent teachers in their communities rewarded with bonus pay for consistent, positive feedback from parents and students, as opposed to a mere 20 percent who believed those same teachers should be rewarded with performance-based bonuses measured by student results.

“The difference an excellent teacher can have is massive," said Avi Gordon, chief operating officer of Kars4Kids. "Some studies have even shown that a student with even one excellent teacher for one year would gain about $4,600 in lifetime income compared to a student of similar demographics who has an average teacher.”

If you're among the 75 percent of adults who have not expressed appreciation to the teacher who impacted your life, here's your chance to make amends. Give a shout-out to your favorite teacher in the "comments" section.

And, if your child is doing something special for a teacher this week, be sure to post a photo to share with the community.

Thanks, teachers, for all that you do.