Thanking a teacher is good both for the teacher and for the person doing the thanking. Showing gratitude is a win-win-win activity.

If your teacher hears your thanks, it will brighten their day. If it is too late for your teacher to hear your thanks, your gratitude will still honor them by elevating public perception of all teachers. Either way, thanking your teacher will also make you feel good.

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Oliver Smithies wanted to thank his graduate tutor at Oxford University for making a difference in his life. After he had recorded a video to do just that, we asked him how it made him feel to remember someone who had contributed so much to his significant professional accomplishments. His answer captured a sentiment common among our interview subjects.