How to run it as a class
A Teachers' Day card only moves if one person sets it up. In middle and high school it is usually the class president or a class officer; in elementary school, often the parent representative. Whoever does it, the steps are the same.
- Create it around May 8. A week ahead is plenty. A name like “Class 3-2 to Ms. Kim”, with the class and the teacher's name, tells people what it is from the link alone.
- Post the link in a room the teacher is not in. If the homeroom teacher is in the class chat, make a students-only room or have the president send it privately.
- Deadline: the evening of the 14th. To show it on the morning of the 15th, everything has to be in the night before. Fix a time like “9 pm”.
- The organizer writes first. With the president's note already there, the rest match the length and tone.
- Save the image on the morning of the 15th and hand it over.
Everything from creating to sharing is in How it works. Even a first timer needs one minute.
It differs by grade
Early elementary: parents type for the kids
First and second graders struggle to write on a phone. Post the link in the parents' chat and have parents type what the child says. Put the child's name in the name field. Do not polish the sentences. Lines like “I did not like it when you made me eat kimchi at lunch but now I can eat it” are exactly what makes a teacher laugh.
A child who wants to draw can do it on the home computer. Drawing is desktop only, and the save button must be pressed for it to go up. A wobbly pen drawing of the teacher's face lasts longer than any message.
Upper elementary, middle and high school: students themselves
Old enough to write on their own, and better without parents involved. During a break, say “let us all write now” and everyone comes in at once; watching the notes land together is fun. Leave anonymity open and the quiet students leave a line too.
Not only the homeroom teacher
Subject teachers can get one too. A teacher you see two or three times a week often gets nothing on Teachers' Day, and remembers it all the more. A dozen students who like the subject is enough.
Writing to a former teacher after graduating is good as well. A few classmates who are in touch pass the link around, and whoever has the teacher's contact delivers it. Teachers move schools, so check the delivery route first. For a card among friends in graduation season, it is better to make a separate graduation card.
The whole class on one canvas
A card for a teacher should show “our class”, so the canvas fits. The organizer puts one big note in the center, “Class 3-2 to Ms. Kim”, and everyone else scatters around it. Dragging a corner of a note shrinks it, so even thirty fit.
Putting the roll number with the name (“7 Minji Kim”) lets the teacher read in seating order, picturing each face. Agreeing on one or two note colors makes the page tidy; letting everyone choose makes it lively. Teachers like either.
If the class is over thirty and everyone will write at length, the list reads more easily. The layout cannot be changed once chosen, so decide before creating.
What to write to a teacher
It is easy to stop at “thank you”. One concrete scene changes it: something the teacher said, a day you got told off, one class that made everyone laugh.
Elementary students
- When I got 100 on the spelling test and you clapped, I was still happy when I got home.
- The books you read to us are the best. Please read one next week too.
- Thank you for sitting next to me when I cried. I love you, teacher.
Middle and high school students
- When I was late, you asked if I had eaten breakfast before scolding me. I have not forgotten that. Thank you.
- I really hated math, but I never dozed off in your class. That is the biggest compliment I have.
- Thank you for listening to the end when we talked. Please look after us for the rest of the year.
- Our class is loud and must be hard on you. Still, everyone says they are glad you are our teacher.
Former students
- Hello after five years. I am doing exactly the job you talked about in that career talk.
- In school I did not understand why you were so strict. Out in the world, it all turned out to be right. A late thank you.
- It is fine if you do not remember me. Your class is why I became someone who reads.
From parents
- You are the person my child talks about most at home. I take that as how much they like you. Thank you for this year.
- I worried a lot about adjusting at the start of term, and thanks to your care, mornings before school are happy now. Thank you.
- Thank you for taking that long phone call even when you were busy. Please take care of your health.
The day of
Put the canvas on the classroom TV or projector before the morning meeting on the 15th and the moment the teacher walks in becomes the event. Before that, save the PNG with Save image. A free service run by one person cannot promise permanent storage. A printed copy lasts a long time on a desk in the staff room. Choosing a size is covered in Print and frame.
Things to watch out for
- Do not post it in a chat the teacher is in. Anyone with the link can come in, so posting it in the class announcement room ends the surprise. The same goes for school apps and official class channels.
- Do not make it look like an official school event. This is students and parents acting on their own. Running it under the school or grade name across everyone invites misunderstanding. Keep it quietly within the class.
- Keep it from becoming a burden on the teacher. Messages are always fine, but do not let it turn into talk of gifts or money. Words are enough, and the teacher can accept them with an easy mind.
- Do not mix the parents' room and the students' room. If both should write, send one link to both but mark names distinctly, like “Minji's mom”.