While we've likely all had poor experiences with teachers, I feel it extremely important to take the time to recognize the few that go the extra mile and make a difference. In the case of my eldest DS there for four teachers I felt did that through his K-12 experience. I made sure to visit them personally, shake their hand, and look them in the eye and tell them, "YOU made a difference, YOU went above and beyond and it stood out, YOU were inspirational to my son, THANK YOU."

Three of those four teachers were visibly moved to hear that, they deserve to know that, they NEED to know that, teachers need to know when they've made a difference, that's why good teachers teach, it's a validation that they've been successful with the strong effort they're giving.