NWR: Thank you notes for a Professor?

Rebl90

Okay, I am convinced that the majority of you ladies here on TK give excellent feedback and advice so I'd love an opinion on this.

I have a final tomorrow in a class that I have not really enjoyed, but with a professor who has been amazing.  She has proven to be extremely compassionate and understanding, and it is obvious that she adores her job and truly cares for her students.  I work here on campus and multiple times she has asked me how work was going and how life in general was going, doing the same with many of my classmates. There is an individual in my class who clearly suffers from some sort of learning disability, and I have seen her come alongside them with extreme patience and genuine care. She is not an easy grader by far, and while she has been tough, she has been more than fair by giving us study guides well in advance and making sure everyone knows what is going on at all times. 

So my question is, would you or have you ever given a professor a thank-you note? That was my first instinct as I thought back to how she has run her class (I appreciate no-nonsense professors), but I don't want it to come across as weird. I have been a college student now for well over 5 years and no other professor has left such an impression on me. 

 

JCbride2015

Yep!  I have done it more than once and each time, the prof sent an email back to say s/he loved the note.  I think it's a nice gesture.

A word of advice which you probably don't really need: choose a professional card and use black ink.  My Partner From Hell for my law clinic bought the cards for our profs last week, and she chose cards with silly dog photos on them (think, a dog with a scuba mask on) and used pink pen.  I didn't say a word to her because what's done is done, but I was really embarrassed.

Sugargirl1019

I have done it

Do it!

Rebl90

Thanks ladies! I love writing thank you notes but since I've never written one for a professor I was hesitant. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one!

mazilora

I've received a bunch as a TA, so I can only imagine how many professors receive! If you will have this professor again, I'd recommend not giving a gift until your final course with her...it can be a bit awkward otherwise.

csuave

A thank you note is a great idea.  As is occassional correspondence/keeping in touch in the future.  You never know when you might need a letter of recommendation in the future or if your professor is up for an award she might need student letters of recommendation.  I just wrote a letter of recommendation for my old professor and I graduated 13 years ago!

wrigleyville

I would also write a letter to her department head. They use student feedback as part of their determination regarding who gets tenure, raises, etc. We completed anonymous surveys at the end of every semester, but I also wrote letters to the department head and Dean of A&S when I had a particularly wonderful professor.

Rebl90

I handed on in with my final this morning! Thanks for the suggestions @wrigleyville and @csuave, I think I will definitely take the time to write a letter to the department head and I know I will be keeping in touch as the office I work for works very closely with the professors on campus.

@masilora - this was my first and only class with her, it was my last gen ed course that I've been putting off for years!