In the fall of 2020, deep into the pandemic and remote teaching, the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) launched a new program to encourage students to do something simple: Write a “thank you” note to one of their teachers.
During that first year of the newly established Thank a Teacher program, 114 notes were written by Drexel students, who took a moment to convey how instructors made a Drexel Difference in their academic experience.
Notes continue to be collected at the end of each term with the most submitted in the fall and winter terms when the greatest number of courses are offered, said Johanna Inman, EdD, MFA, director of TLC.
Johanna Inman, EdD, inaugural director of the Teaching and Learning Center
The idea for the program came from a department head new to the University who attended the Drexel Teaching Academy, a 10-week program in which an interdisciplinary cohort of full-time faculty and academic support staff pore over literature and research on teaching in higher education. The group was discussing the value and culture of improving teaching at Drexel when the department head mentioned this program, which had been part of her prior university.
“When we first discussed launching the program with the TLC's advisory board, we had a robust discussion about titling the program Thank a Professor or Thank a Teacher,” Inman said. “We landed on Thank a Teacher because a number of folks made an excellent case that within an institution such as Drexel, which has such diverse learning environments and experiential learning opportunities, not everyone who holds teaching responsibilities is or considers themselves a professor.”
Similar programs at other institutions also use Thank a Teacher as a moniker. It was also thought such a program could have a real impact and make a big difference for many faculty, Inman said. “There are a lot of expectations and pressures on everyone in what can sometimes feel like a thankless job,” she said. “Everyone invests a lot of emotional time and labor.”
Usama Bilal, assistant professor at the Dornsife School of Public Health
Once the notes are tallied up each year, Inman and Erin McNamara Horvat, PhD, senior vice provost for faculty advancement, send a congratulatory letter to each person who receives a Thank You. The letter re-states the student’s note and a copy of the letter is forwarded to department heads, deans and the provost.
“The notes that students write underscore the depth of dedication of so many of our faculty and the tremendous impact they can have on students while they attend Drexel,” said Paul E. Jensen, PhD, executive vice president and Nina Henderson Provost.
It’s not unusual for multiple students to thank the same teacher. Mark Willie, a teaching professor in the Department of Design at Westphal, received several letters in 2023 from enthusiastic students effusive in their praise.
Willie, who has been teaching at Drexel for 25 years, teaches a studio class of typically 12-15 students. His teaching philosophy supports student agency and encourages these fledgling designers to pursue a direction that best suits their individual styles.
“The students are very generous and kind, and the notes make me feel as though I have made some impact,” Willie said in an interview. “It’s even more meaningful when I recognize the student who wrote it.”
If there are any themes to be derived from the notes received over the last nearly four years, it’s that students are more successful in courses where they feel the instructor cares for them, wants them to succeed and checks on their well-being.
“Research supports this, and it aligns with the work we are doing in the TLC,” Inman said. “Students respond to personal interactions where they feel seen, heard and supported. The idea that an instructor believed they could be successful is huge. We know, in terms of motivation, that students work harder for an instructor who believes in their success. It is also very important students are in learning environments where they feel safe to take risks and not afraid to ask questions.”
Inman has been exploring ways to build greater awareness of the Thank a Teacher program. “I would hesitate to say that the number of thank you notes we receive reflects the number of students who would like to thank one of their teachers,” she said.