speech for a teacher who has completed 25 years

50 Inspiring Examples of Thank-You Messages for Teachers & Mentors

By Status.net Editorial Team on November 23, 2023 — 14 minutes to read

Crafting a heartfelt thank you message for a teacher or mentor can make all the difference in acknowledging their hard work and the impact they’ve had on your life. Here are some tips to help you create a meaningful note that truly expresses your gratitude.

First, take a moment to think about the specific things that the teacher or mentor has done for you. This could include lessons they’ve taught, new skills they’ve introduced, or the time and effort they’ve dedicated to your success. Use these thoughts to draft a personalized message that highlights these unique aspects. For example:

Dear Mrs. Brown,

Thank you for your continuous support and guidance throughout the school year. Your patience and dedication in teaching me algebra have made a significant difference in my understanding and confidence. I am truly grateful.

Make sure to provide context in your message. Explain how their support has helped you both academically and personally. Providing concrete examples can strengthen your thank you message and make it more memorable. Here’s an example:

Dear Mr. Johnson,

I wanted to express my gratitude for all the invaluable advice and encouragement you’ve given me during our mentorship. Your insights on pursuing a career in engineering have clarified my path forward, and the time you spent reviewing my college applications boosted my chances immeasurably. Thank you for being such a dedicated and inspiring mentor.

A touch of emotion can go a long way in conveying your appreciation. Don’t be afraid to show your feelings and express how their help and guidance have positively influenced your life. Example:

Dear Miss Lee,

You’re not just a wonderful teacher; you’re also a caring and supportive friend. Your wisdom and kindness have helped me through some tough times, and I’m so grateful to have had you in my corner. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.

A well-written, heartfelt note will mean a great deal to your teacher or mentor. It is an excellent way to demonstrate your appreciation and respect, while also reminding them of the powerful impact they have on their students’ lives.

Simple Thank-You Messages for Teachers

• Thank you for your guidance and support.
• I truly appreciate all that you’ve done for me.
• I am so grateful to have you as my teacher/mentor.

You can also personalize your message by mentioning something specific that your teacher or mentor has done for you. This can make your message more meaningful, and it shows that you have taken the time to reflect on their impact in your life. Here are some sample phrases that you could use:

• Thank you for always encouraging me to try my best.
• I will never forget the late nights you spent helping me with my projects.
• Your patience and understanding made all the difference for me.

Don’t forget to include some words of encouragement or appreciation for the teacher or mentor themselves. They often put in long hours and dedicate their lives to helping others, so it’s nice to let them know that their efforts are not going unnoticed. Some examples include:

• You’re an amazing teacher, and I feel lucky to have learned from you.
• Your passion for your subject is truly inspiring.
• It’s clear that you care deeply about your students, and I want you to know how much I admire that.

If you are comfortable doing so, you could briefly touch on the positive impact your teacher or mentor has had on your life or personal growth. This can be a powerful way to wrap up your thank you message and leave a lasting impression. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

• Your guidance has changed the way I approach challenges, and I am forever grateful.
• You’ve helped me grow into a more confident and capable person.
• I wouldn’t be where I am today without your support and encouragement.

Examples of Thank-You Messages for Teachers

Here’s a list of example thank-you messages that you can use as inspiration to craft your own unique message. Feel free to use these as-is, or adapt and personalize them to suit your own style and relationship with your teacher.

• Thank you for always believing in me and pushing me to reach my full potential. Your guidance and support have made a world of difference in my life.
• I am so grateful for your patience and dedication in helping me grow, both academically and personally. You’ve truly made a lasting impact on my life.
• Your passion for teaching and your ability to make complex subjects easy to understand have inspired me to pursue my own dreams. Thank you for being such a great mentor and role model.
• Thank you for being a constant source of support, encouragement, and inspiration. You’ve shown me the true meaning of perseverance and hard work.
• Your kindness, understanding, and sense of humor always brighten up the classroom. Thank you for making learning so enjoyable and engaging.
• You’ve made such a positive impact on my life, and I can’t thank you enough for all the time, effort, and care you put into helping me succeed.
• Your unwavering commitment to your students’ success is truly admirable. Thank you for being the best teacher I could ever ask for.
• Your dedication to teaching and your ability to connect with your students make you an incredible teacher. I’m so grateful for the time and effort you invest in my education.
• Thank you for being such a caring and compassionate teacher. You’ve made all the difference in helping me overcome challenges and grow as a person.
• Your encouragement and support have helped me to believe in myself and achieve my goals. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Showing Gratitude Towards Mentors

• Thank you for being a guiding light in my life. Your support and encouragement have helped me grow personally and professionally.
• I am grateful for the time and effort you’ve invested in mentoring me. Your advice has been invaluable, and I genuinely appreciate your help.
• You have made a significant difference in my life, and I can’t thank you enough for your guidance and wisdom.
• Your unwavering support and belief in me have given me the confidence to pursue my dreams. Thank you for being an incredible mentor.
• Thanks for being an amazing teacher and mentor. Your patience and dedication have truly inspired me to strive for greatness.

Don’t hesitate to get personal by mentioning specific experiences or instances where your mentor’s advice made a difference:

• I’ll never forget the time you stayed late to help me perfect my presentation skills. Your pointers have significantly improved my ability to communicate effectively, and I am genuinely grateful.
• Your advice on time management has made all the difference during my busy semesters. Thanks to you, I’ve learned how to prioritize tasks and maintain focus on my goals.
• The techniques you taught me for dealing with conflict and difficult situations have been invaluable both in my professional and personal life. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

Or, you can express your gratitude by highlighting your mentor’s qualities that you admire the most:

• Your ability to listen and provide constructive feedback has taught me the importance of effective communication. Thank you for being an excellent mentor and role model.
• Your passion for teaching and dedication to your students is truly inspiring. You have helped me see the value in lifelong learning, and I am grateful for your guidance.
• Your incredible patience and understanding have allowed me to grow, even when I was struggling. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement.

Thoughtful Messages for Mentors

• Thank you for always believing in me and pushing me to reach my full potential. Your unwavering support has made a significant difference in my life.
• Your guidance and wisdom have not only helped me grow professionally, but also personally. I am so grateful to have you as my mentor. Thank you for everything you do.
• I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into helping me become the best version of myself. You are an amazing mentor, and I am so grateful for your support and encouragement.

Sometimes, a heartfelt message can brighten your mentor’s day and let them know that their efforts have not gone unnoticed:

• I couldn’t have achieved my goals without your guidance, support, and encouragement. Thank you for being an incredible mentor!
• Your dedication to helping me succeed has made all the difference in my journey to success. Thank you for being a fantastic mentor and for always having my back.
• Thank you for your patience, understanding, and constant support. Your mentorship has been invaluable, and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me.

You can also share a message that highlights specific ways your mentor has helped you grow. You can mention specific instances where their advice or support made a significant impact:

• Thank you for helping me navigate through difficult challenges at work. Your guidance has been a tremendous help, and I appreciate your invaluable insights.
• Your encouragement to step out of my comfort zone has led me to incredible opportunities and growth. Thanks for being an incredible mentor and believing in me.
• Thank you for always being there to offer advice, constructive feedback, and encouragement. You’ve truly made a difference in my career and personal development.

Feel free to make your message as personalized as possible, incorporating memorable experiences and anecdotes:

• The lessons I’ve learned from you, not only about work but also about life, have made me a better person. Thank you for being an extraordinary mentor and shaping my life.
• I will never forget the time you stayed late to help me prepare for my big presentation. Your dedication as a mentor is truly appreciated—thank you for everything.
• I still remember the first day we met, and you told me I had the potential to do great things. Thanks to your mentorship, I believe in myself and my abilities more than ever before.

Personalized Thank-You Messages for Teachers

A personalized thank you message can make all the difference in showing your appreciation. Here are some examples to help you craft the perfect message for your teacher or mentor.

• Consider what personal stories or moments you have shared with your teacher or mentor. You can mention a specific time when their guidance or support made a significant impact on your life. Example : “Dear Mr. Smith, remember the time when I was struggling with my math assignments, and you stayed after class to help me grasp the concepts? Your patience and dedication not only helped me excel in math but also taught me the value of perseverance. Thank you so much!”
• Highlight your teacher’s unique qualities or teaching style that resonates with you. It could be their passion for the subject, their creativity, or their ability to inspire students. Example : “Mr. Brown, your passion for history and engaging teaching style made those lessons fun and brought the past to life. Your lively discussions and interesting anecdotes during class sparked my interest in history like never before. Thank you!”
• You can mention the lasting impact and lessons they have imparted on you that will undoubtedly influence your future endeavors. Example : “Mrs. Garcia, your unwavering support and encouragement throughout our journey in the robotics club has been invaluable. The confidence and teamwork skills you have instilled in me will undoubtedly benefit me in all aspects of life. Thank you for everything!”

Customizable Templates for Messages

Looking for the perfect way to express your gratitude to a teacher or mentor? Check out these customizable templates to help you craft the perfect thank you message. Feel free to personalize each message to make it unique and heartfelt.

Template 1: Expressing Gratitude for Support and Guidance Dear [Teacher/Mentor’s Name],

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the support and guidance you have given me throughout [specific time or event]. Your dedication and passion for teaching have made a significant impact on my life. You helped me overcome challenges and achieve my goals.

Your patience, understanding, and encouragement have been invaluable to me, and I will always cherish the lessons I’ve learned from you. Thank you, [Teacher/Mentor’s Name], for believing in me and inspiring me to continue learning and growing.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Template 2: Commending on a Specific Lesson or Achievement Dear [Teacher/Mentor’s Name],

I wanted to express my gratitude for the extraordinary lesson you taught about [specific topic or skill]. Your unique approach and engaging teaching style made it easy to understand and retain the information. This lesson has proven to be invaluable and has greatly contributed to my success in [specific achievement or task].

Your expertise and dedication to helping your students not only learn but also grow as individuals truly sets you apart. Thank you for making such a difference in my life.

Warm regards, [Your Name]

Template 3: Appreciating the Caring and Encouraging Nature Dear [Teacher/Mentor’s Name],

Thank you for always being such a caring and supportive figure in my life. Your endless encouragement and belief in my abilities have given me the confidence to tackle even the most challenging tasks.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have had you as my teacher/mentor throughout [specific time or event]. Your guidance has positively impacted my academic journey, and I will always be grateful for the difference you have made.

With heartfelt thanks, [Your Name]

Best Practices

• Personalize your message: Share specific examples of how your teacher or mentor has positively impacted your life. This demonstrates that you truly value their efforts and time.
• Choose the right medium: Consider the preferences of your teachers and mentors when deciding how to deliver your message – a handwritten note, email, or even a small gift might be appropriate.
• Timing is important: While there’s no wrong time to express gratitude, consider sending your message after a significant event or milestone. This could be at the end of a school year, after receiving help with a difficult project, or when you achieve a personal goal.
• Keep cultural sensitivities in mind: Be aware of any cultural differences or preferences that may influence how your message will be received. This is especially important if your teacher or mentor is from a different cultural background than you.
• Proofread your message: Before sending your message, give it a thorough read-through to check for any errors or inaccuracies. This demonstrates that you have taken the time to carefully craft your expression of gratitude.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some short and sweet thank you messages for teachers.

• “Thank you for inspiring me every day!”
• “Your patience and dedication have made all the difference.”
• “So grateful for your guidance and support.”
• “You’ve given me the gift of knowledge – thank you!”

How can I express appreciation to a teacher leaving the school?

• Write a heartfelt letter describing the impact they’ve had on you and your classmates.
• Create a photo album or scrapbook filled with memories and messages from students.
• Organize a farewell party, including speeches from students or colleagues who want to express their gratitude.
• Gift them with a keepsake, like a personalized mug or custom-made artwork, that will remind them of their time at the school.

What are some words of gratitude for a mentor’s support and guidance?

• “I’m so grateful to have had you as a mentor.”
• “Your wisdom and encouragement have been invaluable.”
• “Thanks for always believing in me and pushing me to be my best.”
• “Your guidance has made me stronger, wiser, and more confident.”

Can you provide thank you notes from students to teachers?

“Dear [Teacher’s Name],

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all that you’ve done for me this year. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and humor have made learning so much more enjoyable. I will cherish the memories and lessons from your class for years to come.

Sincerely, [Your Name]”

“Hey [Teacher’s Name],

Just wanted to say a quick thank you for being such an amazing teacher! You’ve not only taught me the subject matter, but you’ve also taught me what it means to have passion and dedication. I’ll never forget the impact you’ve had on my growth.

Best, [Your Name]”

What’s a meaningful way for parents to say thank you to teachers?

• Write a thoughtful thank you note, sharing specific examples of how the teacher has positively impacted your child.
• Volunteer your time in the classroom or at school events to show your appreciation.
• Offer a small gift as a token of gratitude, such as a gift card, a homemade treat or a special item related to the teacher’s interests.
• Give public recognition, either through social media or at a school function, to show your appreciation to the teacher.

How can a principal show appreciation towards teachers?

• Organize a special “Teacher Appreciation Week” or day with events, treats, and recognition for their hard work.
• Offer professional development opportunities, resources, and support to help them grow in their careers.
• Provide regular feedback and encouragement, celebrating their successes and accomplishments.
• Create a positive, collaborative, and nurturing work environment where teachers feel valued and supported.
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My Teaching Story: Celebrating 25 Years

Here’s an overview of what that looks like:

• Years as a sessional instructor: 22
• Years as a full-time faculty member: 2 completed. Entering Year 3
• Number of educational institutions: 2 institutions for credit courses; 4 institutions for non-credit courses
• Number of additional organizations where I have given workshops or individual training sessions: I can’t remember or count
• Levels taught: Undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, non-credit workshops, teacher training, employee training
• Number of students taught: A few thousand, at least, but I haven’t kept track.
• Current position: Assistant Professor (tenure-track)

Like many academics, my career has zig-zagged. My first teaching experience was as a Master’s level graduate teaching assistant. I was a brand-new graduate student. I was given a class list and a textbook and told, “Here. Go teach.”

Even though my official title was “Graduate Teaching Assistant” (“TA” for short), I was also what is called the “Instructor of Record”. That means that I was officially responsible for the entire course, including developing the course outline, all instruction, tests, examinations and grading.

I’ve heard that it is no longer permitted for TAs to be the “instructor of record” and that TAs actually need to have some support and mentoring now. Back when I started, graduate TAs were largely left on their own, to do the same work as professors, at a much lower pay rate.

I remember attending a day-and-a-half training session before my first teaching assignment. It was largely focused on learning styles, which has since become a highly contested concept. Things have changed for the better since then. TAs (at our institution at least), get training and mentoring along the way. They are supervised by the Instructor of Record, which means they get to learn how to teach in a less risky, more supported environment.

The following spring and summer, I was hired to teach the same course again, but because spring and summer courses were handled by a different administrative unit at the university at that time, my title changed to “sessional instructor”, which remains the typical term for this type of appointment in Canada. This classification goes by different names depending where you are. Some synonyms include:

• part-time contingent faculty
• part-time lecturer
• contract faculty
• adjunct lecturer
• adjunct professor
• adjunct faculty

For more than two decades I worked as sessional instructor, sometimes teaching up to ten credit courses per year, supplemented by teaching continuing education courses, workshops and employee training sessions. I taught at any institution or organization that would hire me. I also took on other work in an educational context such as program evaluation and even did clerical work in educational institutions.

This year, I will celebrate my 25th year of teaching. Because of the patchwork nature of my career, no one has kept track of this experience but me. And even I have lost track of the number of organizations where I’ve taught workshops or short-term courses. I began teaching at a time before computerized HR records were kept, and everything was done on paper. Even I don’t have every contract letter or pay stub from every teaching gig I’ve ever had.

In 2016, I was hired as a full-time Assistant Professor (tenure track), for which I am truly grateful. Not long after I started in my full-time role I had lunch with one of my former professors from my Master’s program, who is now a colleague. I recall her saying, “You did it! Most people give up, but you didn’t!” She’s right. I didn’t give up. I love teaching and I believe it as much a calling as it is a career. I am enjoying my career now more than ever.

My curriculum vitae cannot accurately show that for 22 years, I travelled from one institution or organization to the next, sometimes teaching for three different places in the same day and the number of hours in any given day that I worked often exceeded what is typically regarded as “full-time hours”. It was a patchwork of part-time jobs that allowed me to pay the bills.

Twenty-two years is a long, long time to spend without job security, benefits or a pension. People who have had their full-time teaching jobs for a long time can’t relate to that kind of life. I have had colleagues who have had full-time roles for a long time share their thinly-veiled assumption that if you’re good enough, you can get a full-time job. That may be true to a certain degree, but there are other factors that can come into play. If one is not able to move to a new location in order to take on a full-time role, for example, then options become more limited.

Other colleagues have declared that “Sessionals are not faculty!”, dismissing their opinions, views or contributions to the academy. The underlying point in such an argument is that only those with full-time faculty appointments have legitimate status. Those whose status is uncertain or part-time effectively have “less than” status, which is neither credible, nor legitimate. But I have seen this situation from both sides of the table now: both as a long-term sessional and now as a tenure-track assistant professor.

As I celebrate a quarter of a century of teaching experience this year, I can say one thing for sure: Teachers matter. Whether you are part-time, full-time, and regardless of whatever your title says you are. You are a teacher at heart. You keep your students at the heart of what you do, no matter where you are or who you teach.

For anyone else out there who is currently working as Sessional / Adjunct / Contingent Faculty, let me just say: You are not alone. You work hard. You have grit and tenacity.The work you do is important. You are good enough. Actually, you are more than good enough.

I challenge you to share your own story. What does this academic year mean to you? What do you have to celebrate? What message do you want to share with others? What’s your story? I would love to hear from you!

#academiclife #highered #lifeofanacademic

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Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Opinions are my own and do not represent those of the Werklund School of Education or the University of Calgary.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2018 at 6:15 am and is filed under education , teaching . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton is a professor, ethicist, writer, and speaker. She is a strong advocate for academic integrity and ethics in educational contexts.

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Trending Post : Easy Kids Craft Ideas

How to Write an Unforgettable Teacher Appreciation Speech

Sharing is caring!

Today we are showing you how to write a teacher appreciation speech that’ll show your all the teachers how meaningful they are.

Expressing gratitude towards wonderful teachers is not just a formality, but a meaningful gesture that can leave a lasting impact.

A well written appreciation speech has the power to inspire, uplift, and acknowledge the incredible work that educators do every day and show them how much each teacher deserves tremendous love.

Teachers play a vital role in shaping the lives of their students, instilling knowledge, values, and a passion for learning.

Here we dive into the art of writing a teacher appreciation speech that goes beyond mere words to truly resonate with its audience.

We will explore the significance of honoring teachers, the heartfelt emotions involved, and the importance of expressing gratitude sincerely.

Whether you are a student, a parent, or a colleague looking to convey your appreciation, crafting a thoughtful speech can convey your deep respect and admiration for the dedication and hard work of teachers.

After all, teachers are what make school such a special place. School would be just a hollow building without all the deeds amazing teachers do everyday.

A speech is a great idea for teacher’s appreciation week .

Looking for more great teacher appreciation ideas ? We’ve got lots of great teacher appreciation printables and teacher appreciation craft ideas too!

Table of Contents

Understanding the Role of Teachers in Society

Crafting a heartfelt teacher appreciation speech, structuring an inspiring teacher appreciation speech, delivering the speech with confidence and sincerity, acknowledging the impact of teacher appreciation, teacher appreciation speech example.

Teachers hold a pivotal role in shaping the future of society through their impact on students’ lives. They go beyond imparting knowledge, influencing values, skills, and character development. Let’s delve into the multifaceted role of teachers in our society.

Here are some things to consider before writing your speech.

Impact of Teachers on Students’ Lives

Teachers are more than just educators; they are mentors, role models, and supporters. Their influence extends far beyond the classroom, shaping the beliefs, attitudes, and aspirations of their students.

Teachers instill a sense of curiosity, critical thinking, and a thirst for knowledge that can last a lifetime. They play a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of leaders, innovators, and change-makers.

The relationships teachers build with their students can have a profound impact on their personal and academic growth. Teachers not only teach academic subjects but also impart life lessons, instilling values like empathy, resilience, and perseverance.

They help students discover their strengths, overcome challenges, and realize their full potential. The guidance and encouragement provided by teachers can set students on a path to success and fulfillment.

Challenges Faced by Teachers

Despite their vital role, teachers encounter numerous challenges in their profession. From heavy workloads and limited resources to diverse student needs and societal pressures, teachers navigate a complex landscape every day.

The demands of modern education, including standardized testing, curriculum changes, and technology integration, add to the challenges teachers face.

Moreover, teachers often deal with issues beyond academics, such as student behavior problems, mental health concerns, and societal inequalities.

The emotional labor involved in supporting students’ social and emotional well-being can be draining. Despite these challenges, teachers remain dedicated to their students’ growth and well-being, often going above and beyond their job descriptions.

Appreciation for teachers is crucial not only to boost their morale but also to acknowledge the hard work, passion, and dedication they bring to their profession.

Recognizing the challenges teachers face and expressing gratitude for their contributions can inspire them to continue making a positive impact on students’ lives.

In a society where teachers play such a significant role in shaping the future generations, it is essential to value and appreciate their efforts, recognizing the impact they have on individuals, communities, and the world at large.

Sharing a heartfelt teacher appreciation speech is a meaningful way to express gratitude and admiration for the educators who impact our lives.

Reflecting on personal experiences with teachers and how they have influenced us can add a personal touch to the speech, making it more genuine and memorable.

Personal Reflections on Teacher’s Influence

Begin by reflecting on specific moments when the teacher made a difference in your life.

Recall instances where their guidance, support, or encouragement influenced your personal growth and academic journey.

Share anecdotes that highlight the positive impact the teacher had on you, allowing the audience to understand the depth of your appreciation.

Expressing Specific Appreciation

Expressing gratitude with specific examples can make your speech more impactful. Mention particular qualities or actions of the teacher that you admire and appreciate.

Whether it’s their dedication to helping students, their innovative teaching methods, or their unwavering support, sharing concrete examples can demonstrate the profound impact they have had on you and others.

Adding Personal Touches to the Speech

Adding personal touches to your teacher appreciation speech can make it more heartfelt and memorable. Consider using resources like teacher appreciation poems and teach appreciation quotes to add a creative and touching flair to your message.

These elements can beautifully complement your anecdotes, illustrating the profound bond between teachers and their students.

You can also incorporate personal experiences or lessons learned from the teacher that have shaped your growth and perspective. Personalizing the speech shows thoughtfulness and gratitude, making the teacher feel truly valued and appreciated.

Crafting a teacher appreciation speech that resonates with your audience requires careful structuring to ensure your message is impactful and memorable. Here’s how you can structure your speech to inspire and honor your teachers.

Setting the Tone

The introduction of your teacher appreciation speech sets the tone for the entire address. It serves as the hook that captures the audience’s attention and piques their interest. Consider starting with a personal anecdote, a thought-provoking quote, or a heartfelt thank you to immediately engage your listeners. A captivating introduction not only grabs attention but also sets the stage for the heartfelt appreciation you’re about to express.

Sharing Appreciation Stories

In the body of your speech, sharing personal anecdotes and appreciation stories can profoundly impact your audience. Reflect on specific moments when a teacher’s guidance or support made a difference in your life or the lives of others.

By weaving these stories into your speech, you humanize your message and illustrate the positive influence teachers have. Personal narratives create a connection with your audience and showcase the genuine appreciation you have for your teachers.

You can get ideas in our guide for writing teacher appreciation letter or examples for thank-you notes from parents , which can provide a personal touch and demonstrate the collective appreciation of the community.

Sharing specific instances where teachers have made a significant difference can make your speech more relatable and heartfelt.

Inspiring Closing Remarks

Concluding your teacher appreciation speech with impactful closing remarks leaves a lasting impression on your audience. Use this final opportunity to reinforce your gratitude, summarize key points, and leave the audience inspired.

Consider ending with a with an inspiring message, possibly echoing the sentiments found in thank-you messages from students , leaving a lasting impression of heartfelt appreciation.

Crafting an inspiring teacher appreciation speech involves structuring your message thoughtfully, from the attention-grabbing introduction to the heartfelt conclusion.

By setting the right tone, sharing personal stories, and ending with impactful closing remarks, you can create a speech that honors and celebrates the teachers who have made a difference.

Delivering a teacher appreciation speech with confidence and sincerity is a critical aspect of making a lasting impact on your audience. Here are some tips to help you practice, maintain eye contact, and deliver your speech with genuine emotion:

Tips on Practicing the Speech

• Practice Makes Perfect : Rehearse your speech multiple times to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
• Record Yourself : Recording your practice sessions allows you to identify areas for improvement, such as pacing and tone.
• Seek Feedback : Ask friends or family to listen to your speech and provide constructive feedback for refinement.
• Visualize Success : Picture yourself delivering the speech confidently and envision a positive response from your audience.

Maintaining Eye Contact

• Connect with Your Audience : Maintain eye contact with different individuals in the room to establish a personal connection and convey sincerity.
• Engage with Emotion : Use eye contact to express genuine gratitude and appreciation for the teachers you are addressing.
• Practice In Front of a Mirror : Practice making eye contact with your reflection to build confidence in maintaining eye contact during the actual speech.

Delivering with Genuine Emotion

• Speak from the Heart : Infuse your speech with personal anecdotes and heartfelt sentiments to evoke genuine emotion.
• Express Gratitude : Verbally express your appreciation for the teachers’ dedication and impact on your life and education.
• Stay True to Your Emotions : Avoid sounding rehearsed by staying authentic and allowing your emotions to shine through in your delivery.

By following these tips, you can deliver your speech for teachers with the confidence and sincerity that will truly inspire and touch the hearts of your audience.

Expressing gratitude towards teachers not only brightens their day but also plays a significant role in shaping their teaching journey. Let’s delve into how gratitude impacts teachers and ways to continue appreciating them beyond a speech.

How Gratitude Impacts Teachers

Gratitude acts as a driving force for teachers, fueling their passion and dedication towards their students. When teachers feel appreciated, it boosts their morale, leading to increased job satisfaction and motivation to excel in their roles.

The simple act of acknowledging their hard work and commitment can have a profound impact on their overall well-being.

It reinforces a sense of value and recognition, creating a positive environment where teachers feel supported and encouraged to continue making a difference in the lives of their students.

Continuing the Appreciation Beyond the Speech

While a thank you speech is a wonderful gesture, it’s essential to continue showing gratitude consistently.

Simple actions such as writing a heartfelt note, volunteering to help with classroom tasks, or participating in school events can go a long way in recognizing and supporting teachers.

Building a culture of appreciation not only benefits individual teachers but also fosters a sense of community within the school.

By consistently showing appreciation and support, we can empower teachers to thrive and inspire future generations with their dedication and passion.

Here’s an example of a great teacher appreciation speech.

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, and most importantly, our honored teachers,

As we gather in this moment of gratitude, we find ourselves reflecting on the invaluable impact you’ve made on our lives. Your dedication extends far beyond the walls of any classroom, reaching deep into the hearts and minds of those you teach. Today, I wish to celebrate you with words that mirror our collective admiration, starting with a poem that echoes our sentiments:

“In the garden of life, teachers plant seeds of knowledge that grow forever. With gentle hands and a nurturing heart, they cultivate dreams, inspire curiosity, and awaken the soul to the endless possibilities that await.”

This poem, though simple, captures the essence of what you do every day. You are the gardeners of human potential, nurturing budding minds with the richness of education and the warmth of your dedication.

In the spirit of expressing our deepest thanks, let me share a quote that resonates profoundly with the essence of your contribution: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Your impact is immeasurable, not confined by the here and now but extending into the infinite reach of future generations. Your words, your lessons, and your care forge the legacy of your influence, a legacy that transcends time and space.

Every day, you paint the world with the colors of wisdom and truth, guiding us with patience and understanding, and illuminating the path of learning with the light of your knowledge. Your commitment to education is not just a profession but a profound calling, a dedication to shaping the architects of tomorrow and the guardians of a brighter future.

Through your eyes, we have glimpsed the wonders of the world, and through your words, we have been inspired to pursue our dreams with courage and confidence. You have shown us that the quest for knowledge is not a race to be won but a journey to be savored, filled with endless curiosity and boundless possibilities.

As we stand here in admiration of your unwavering dedication, let us acknowledge that the true essence of teaching is not to fill minds with data but to ignite the spark of understanding and the flame of passion. You have mastered this art with grace, imparting lessons that endure far beyond the final bell.

In closing, let this moment be a testament to our heartfelt appreciation for the countless ways you enrich our lives. Your influence shapes not just the intellect but the very spirit of those you teach, igniting a fire of learning that burns brightly within us all.

Thank you, dear teachers, for every moment, every lesson, and every memory. Your legacy is not just in the minds you’ve enlightened but in the lives you’ve inspired. We are all better for having known you, and our gratitude is as boundless as the knowledge you share.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Crafting a heartfelt teacher appreciation speech is not only a gesture of gratitude but also a powerful way to inspire and uplift those who dedicate their lives to education.

Emphasizing the importance of recognizing the hard work and dedication of teachers, we have explored how to structure a speech that resonates with sincerity and admiration.

Remember, simplicity and authenticity are key when expressing your gratitude. Let your words flow naturally, focusing on the impact your teacher has had on your life and the lives of others.

Take the time to reflect on the qualities that make your teacher special and be sure to convey your appreciation with genuine emotion.

By harnessing the power of gratitude in your speech, you have the opportunity to create a lasting impression that will inspire both your teacher and your audience.

So go ahead, write your own teacher appreciation speech and let your words be a beacon of gratitude and inspiration.

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Never Give up on Your Dream, Motivational Speeches

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Sample Motivational Speech for Teachers to Kick off the Year!

Summer is in full swing and with fall just around the corner, schools are busy planning back to school professional development events. Every year, school administrators need to find new ways to motivate and inspire teachers . It's important to start the year with excitement and energy, so below are some thoughts pulled together in a motivational speech that can be borrowed to motivate educators. I am a keynote speaker for over 10 education events per year and I find educators and support staff need inspiration more than ever.

Below is a basic script( not one of my own motivational speeches) that will build momentum in the school year

Motivational Speech for Educators

As we kick off the new year, many of you come here will new enthusiasm, excitement, and energy. 

Every new year you stand in front of your classroom, and you ask, how am I going to take this group from where they are to where they need to be?

Because every student deserves a great education. However, building people up takes energy, Building people up takes passion and grit. Building people up takes determination.

We've heard all of this before, and if you say it long enough, and if you say it with passion- people start to believe it. 

Many days you come to work when you don't feel like it -but you fake the enthusiasm and muster the energy anyways. Because you won't let your students down.

Teaching requires passion and joy . We know passion is contagious; Energy is contagious, Ambition is contagious.

We are grateful for the positive motivation you bring to each school year.

The most valuable thing we have is time and attention. If time is the most valuable and precious thing we have, it's also the most precious thing we can give. Every day you give that to a student, a student that may not get much of anyone's time or attention.

Today students spend too much time on technology, instead of connecting and building real relationships. 

However, when you talk about a world of instant gratification, there’s a problem with it.

If you grow up in a world where you are instantly gratified to do what you want to do, a lot of things that build success don’t require that.

Now we need to teach students delayed gratification, because If you don’t sacrifice for something you don’t value it.

One of the most important things we bring to the classroom is the work ethic. Are we working harder? Are we getting better?

Let’s teach students to solve problems , instead of looking for opportunities.

This year, let's bring the energy, passion, and determination back to our school. Students deserve the best education they can get, and we are prepared to give it to them.

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A Speech To Inspire Our Teachers Out There

Recently, I was invited to deliver the Vote of Thanks on behalf of the under- and post-graduates at our graduation ceremony.

After googling what a vote of thanks was, I accepted the opportunity. (It’s pretty much a chance to say thanks to our families and the staff…unsurprisingly).

In the end, what I discovered is that usually the main focus is on students thanking their lecturers, tutors, families and friends for supporting them through their degree. All very important, yes.

I also needed to thank all of those bachelors, doctorate, masters, graduate certificate and diploma recipients for choosing to help shape the future and lead within our classrooms and schools.

Truth be told, I wanted to remind every single person there that teaching and education is awesome, incredible and life changing.

Without further ado, here’s the speech, as a video and then in text.

If you watch/read this and think of a specific teacher, family member or friend who would appreciate it- share it. You have no idea how much teachers need to be reminded of the impact and good they are doing right now – and will do in the future .

Our Graduate Vote of Thanks

My name is Daniel Steele – not the 60ish female author – and I have the honour of delivering our Graduate Vote of Thanks.

I’m not sure if everyone else has realised just how amazing the group within this space is. We all collectively understand something that is so powerful and life changing: education.

Incredible, awesome, rewarding. ( Yes, and tiring. Especially after a lunch time yard duty in a Prep Yard on a Friday afternoon ).

No matter what we may hear within the media. No matter what that friend of yours may say. No matter how many times we may hear people simplifying or misunderstanding our impact as a profession.

Until they have been there in that moment watching a student, colleague or a family member break out into that amazing “ Ahhhh-I’ve-Got-It-Now-Smile ”, they will never truly know how incredible teaching and education is.

Right now, it can feel like not enough people realise just how important teaching is for everyone . That they are still unaware that teaching really is the parent of all professions, skills and abilities.

It isn’t those who can’t do, teach. It is those who can do, should thank a teacher. That’s why we need all of you.

You are special. The very fact you chose to challenge yourself and extend your knowledge means there is something within you; wanting to unleash and empower the potential within those students, teachers, schools, systems and government out there.

Interestingly enough word educate , which originated from Latin, doesn’t simply mean “ to teach ”. It actually had two meanings, depending on the ending you chose to use. Educ are and educ ere .

Educare, meant to lead or draw something out, while educere, was used when speaking of moulding or training someone. Even from its early days, the role of educators has been to not only mould and shape the future, but to lead and draw out the potential within others.

The graduates of today, you are both kinds of educators.

Sculptors and leaders.

You are a special group.

But truth be told… I think it’s safe to say, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for a certain person or group of people who helped us.

Take a moment right now, if they’re here scan for that face, catch their eye and give them that knowing smile of gratitude and thanks. If they’re not here, smile as you recall the words or looks of encouragement they sent your way.

Or the times they reminded you that maybe you just needed to suck it up and do that final reading and stop complaining. ( It wouldn’t be a degree without a little bit of whinging around 11pm at night during the working week ).

Whether it was through intensive weeks and weekends, online modules, or attending full-time or part-time, sacrifices have been made to get to this day today

. Our brilliant families and ACU staff – you’ve been our greatest supporters. While at times it may have felt like we were working so hard; missing out on other events, reading until words merged into one another and writing into the night, you all sacrificed your time and energy to help us get here.

That time and energy can never be repaid. For that, we say thank you.

Whilst saying thank you is only made up of two words, and can be so easy to say, when we say it, we are telling you so much more: Thank you for allowing us to flourish.

Thank you for helping us to achieve and be something great.

Thank you for all those times you turned on the kettle…I’m pretty sure the water bill quadrupled.

Thank you for pushing us and recognising that potential within us.

Thank you for planting those seeds of knowledge and new perspectives that have continued to grow.

Thank you for the care you have shown us every single day simply by being there…you have no idea how much we’ve needed that. Thank you for deftly navigating us when we were either hangry or hitting maximum essay fatigue… the ice cream, beer, wine and/or tea always helped.

Thank you for sharing your patience, knowledge and understanding so we could increase ours.

But , don’t get me wrong.

Graduates, you are all legends.

No one else wrote those papers, trawled the physical and digital libraries and scoffed dinner before just a little bit more reading. No one else navigated those halls to get to a lecture for you.

All of those extra commitments balanced amongst those essays, readings and lectures.

That was you.

You pretty much juggled sixteen balls while snowboarding blindfolded down Mount Buller.

You did that.

Thank yourselves and acknowledge what you have accomplished. Let’s even take a moment and mentally high five ourselves…and the person next to you.

Thank you for what you have done and will do as those incredible sculptors and leaders. Congratulations, well done and bring on our next great adventures.

Thanks must further go to my mum for filming the speech…even without her glasses (I think the zoom may have helped her).

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Ready for some more? You might like these… Teacher Tip #76: Act Like An Idiot (Sometimes) Watch As Your Students Walk Into Your Classrooms How We Can Make a Huge Difference For Our Kids What Teachers Really Get Up To On Holidays

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How to Write a Graduation Speech (Graduation Speech Examples)

Have you been asked to deliver a commencement speech? Or have you worked your butt off to become valedictorian or salutatorian, and now you have to deliver a graduation speech? In this post, we will cover one of the more challenging types of presentation creation: How to Write a Graduation Speech . (By the way, I have also included a few popular graduation speech examples as a guide for you.)

This post is a continuation of our How to Create a Presentation series. We are going to break this post down into three parts, though. We will show you how to create a commencement speech in this post. Next week, I’ll show you how to write a valedictorian speech and how to deliver a salutatorian speech. Each of these graduation speeches has a slightly different purpose, but all of them need to be inspirational and funny.

How to Write a Commencement Speech

The commencement speech is often the keynote speech of the graduation ceremony. This presentation should be uplifting and entertaining, but this graduation speech should also teach a life lesson to the graduating students. If you do a search on YouTube of the best graduation speeches, many of these speakers will be famous comedians. When a comedian delivers a commencement speech, and the speech is posted on YouTube, it will always get a ton of views. The humor alone will make people want to watch the video. Three of the most popular of these speeches are by Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, and Ellen DeGeneres. The interesting thing about the speeches from these famous comedians is that, yes, they are funny, but the inspiration comes from what they learned from their failures.

“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life life trying to push you in another direction.” Oprah Winfrey, Harvard University Commencement Speech

A Good Structure When You Write a Commencement Address

Thank the crowd.

Start with Something Funny

Be Inspirational

The inspirational part of your commencement speech will come from the theme of the graduation speech . (For Sample Graduation Speech Themes , see the section below.) The easiest way to develop a theme is to look for an inspirational famous quote about success. You can do this by just going to Google and type in “success quotes”. Once you come up with a great quote, you can either paraphrase the quote and make it your own or quote the original speaker.

Tell Stories from Your Own Experience Related to Your Quote (Theme).

This the most important part of how to write a graduation speech. The stories and examples are what the audience will remember. These stories add emotion and inspiration to your graduation speech. They also help you build rapport with the audience. Finally, these stories make your delivery much easier. You don’t have to memorize a lot of material. Instead, just play the video in your head of what happened and describe the incident to the graduates.

For a great example of this, watch the YouTube video on Stanford University’s channel where Steve Jobs gives the commencement speech. I love this speech, because Jobs skips the introduction and the funny stuff and starts his speech with the following. “I’m going to tell you three stories.” It’s simple, and the crowd loves him.

End with an Inspirational Call to Action.

So as you go on to the next stage in your life and you experience failure… because you will experience failure, use that as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere. Don’t rest on that success. Use it as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere, and you will experience a series of successes and failures that will allow you to accomplish something great!”

Use this outline to create a simple 20 to 30 minute speech. (The shorter the better… No one gets a diploma until you finish.)

Sample Graduation Speech Themes

If you are having trouble coming up with a theme for your graduation speech, here are a few Sample Commencement Speech Themes. As you read through them, think about which them or quote has been most applicable in your career? Once you choose a graduation speech them, use the outline above to create your speech.

• Hard Work Leads to Success

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” — Coleman Cox

• Create Your Own Path.

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” — Herman Melville

• Make Things Happen.

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau

• Don’t Settle for Average. Strive for Greatness.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” –John D. Rockefeller

• Don’t Wait for the Perfect Opportunity. Look for a Way to Create Your Own Opportunity.

“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser/blockquote> The Road Ahead is Hard, But It Leads to Success. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” — Jim Rohn

• Focus on Your Dream.

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” — Bruce Lee

• Learn from Every Mistake to Move Toward Success.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” — Conrad Hilton

• When Your Why is Big Enough, Your How Will Appear.

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” — Jim Rohn

• Happiness is the Key to Success.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” — Albert Schweitzer

Use the Speech Creator as a Guide to How to Create a Graduation Speech

Once you have chosen a them, and you have a few stories to inspire your audience, use our Online Speech Writer to help you organize your thoughts. (It’s free.)

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Thank you Speech for Teachers

Thank you speech generator for teachers.

It is without a doubt that teaching is a profession that can be both rewarding and challenging. Oftentimes, teachers are not recognized for their hard work, rather they are often ignored by people. Thinking that a teacher’s job is easy and anyone can do it. Fortunately, these days, teachers are slowly getting the recognition they deserve and the fact that they are less ignored. To any student, a teacher can be many things. A friend, a second parent, and a hero. Are you a student who wishes to thank their teachers for their job well done? Or are you a principal who wishes to thank his or her teacher staff for doing a great job? Either way, if you are looking for a good speech to thank your teachers, here is something you should check out.

Listed below we have some great thank you speech for teachers examples in PDF. Choose which you want and simply click the download button.

1. Thank you Speech for Teachers Template

Size: 181 KB

2. Golden Award Thank you Speech for Teachers

Size: 41 KB

3. Caverley Award Thank you Speech for Teachers

Size: 136 KB

4. Thank you Speech for Professional Teachers

Size: 837 KB

5. Formal Thank you Speech for Teachers

Size: 188 KB

6. Printable Thank you Speech for Teachers

Size: 53 KB

7. President Thank you Speech for Teachers

Size: 55 KB

Defining the Word Thank you

When defining the word thank you, this is an expression of appreciation . A way of saying you are grateful for who or what the person is doing or has done. An action that can be expressed either through words or through deeds. 

Defining a Thank You Speech

A thank you speech is a type of speech wherein you are showing your appreciation for someone. A type of action where you are acknowledging all the deeds that have been done by the person. A short public speech that serves to show recognition for the doings that were offered by the person you are thanking for. 

Defining the Word Teachers

A person who teaches. A person who is responsible for educating students. A teacher is an individual who engages in the education of a person. 

Ways to Write a Thank You Speech for Teachers

The following guidelines will help you write a good thank you speech for teachers.

• Who is it for – When writing your speech , remember to state who you are writing for. Who are you thanking for?
• Don’t make it too long – Remember you are not writing a story. You are writing a speech to simply say thank you to someone.
• Say what you need to say – Just like the guideline above, do not make it too long but say what you need to say. A simple thank you may be enough but you should also add some reasons as to why you are showing gratitude.
• Practice your speech – The one thing to remember is not to bring the copy of your speech. You may use cue cards or be familiarized with what you wrote. Avoid having to bring the whole copy of your speech in front of the stage.
• Avoid saying vulgar words – Avoid saying vulgar or bad words in your speech. Be careful not to say something bad about the person you are speaking and thanking for.

How long is a thank you speech?

A thank you speech is usually a page long. This may depend on the one making the speech but it rarely goes to two pages long. You can write a paragraph or two as long as you don’t go over a page. You are simply saying thank you to the person or people whom you are showing gratitude to.

Do I need to mention the names of the people I wish to thank?

If you know their names, it is better to write them down. But in case you do not know and simply wish to thank all your teachers in general, you may simply put it to the teachers and your message.

Am I allowed to bring the copy of my speech in front?

It is highly advisable that you are familiar with your speech than to bring the whole copy in front. Not only is it not formal, it can distract you from saying what you really want to say. Be familiar with your speech. Use some keywords and key terms that go with it. Glance once in a while at your cue cards but avoid reading from them. You must always keep eye contact with your audience.

Why is a thank you speech so important?

A thank you speech is a way to show your appreciation towards someone who has done a good job. It is a way to show how thankful you are for the deeds they have done. It is also a way to prove how grateful you are for the opportunities they have shared with you. Your message can be a simple thank you or get creative with what you wish to tell them.

Do I need to write a thank you speech for each teacher I want to say thanks to?

No. If you wish to write one thank you speech for all the teachers you want to say thanks too, you may do so. Simply by writing their names, give each one of them a paragraph where you are going to write how much you appreciate their efforts and how you appreciate them in general. But if you wish to write a different set of speeches for your teachers, you may do so as well. Except it may take some time and tend to get longer. The best advice is to write one speech and their names and your messages for them.

There you have it. Simple guidelines on what to write in a thank you speech for your teachers. You need not have to write a whole novel or a short story type of speech. A simple thank you may be enough but to use a speech to thank them is better.

Teachers do not often get the appreciation they deserve but with the simple speech to say thank you for their efforts, their jobs and how you are grateful with what they are doing is enough for them to continue with their jobs. Writing the speech, remember the simple guidelines. Get creative as well. A good thank you speech comes from the heart.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Graduation Speech [20 Examples + Template]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Being selected as a commencement speaker is a great recognition, but the responsibility can be intimidating. How do you know what kind of message will hit home for the graduates at this point in their lives? How do you make your message stand out from other words of wisdom that the graduating class has heard before?

Fortunately, there are many incredible graduation speeches from which you can pull information. We’ve gathered 15 of the best graduation speech examples here to make your research and brainstorming process easier. A little studying can give you ideas for the perfect graduation speech topic and help you write your speech efficiently.

In this article:

Graduation Speech Examples

Graduation speech template.

Take note of the flow and structure of the examples, and let them guide you in creating your own graduation speech outline. Remember to practice your speech and memorize the bulk of it so you’re able to deliver with confidence. With a strong theme and plenty of practice, you’re sure to gain the audience’s attention and leave them inspired.

Here are 15 free graduation speech examples to gain inspiration from. If you like a style or message of a sample speech, use it as a model to create your own original version.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

1. Funny Valedictorian Speech

This valedictorian entertains the audience of his high school graduation speech with subtle, kind-hearted jokes that reflect the graduating class and the school faculty. The graduation speaker has a sentimental theme to his speech, but his light humor ensures that the presentation is both meaningful and memorable.

“You see, this is not goodbye. This is see you in two to 10 years when I’m significantly smarter, wealthier, funnier, and more handsome than I am right now.”

2. College Graduation Speech Example: Conan O’Brien at Dartmouth College

You don’t have to be a famous comedian to deliver a funny graduation speech, but let Conan O’Brien’s speech at Dartmouth College serve as a good model to create your own. Intertwining life advice and great jokes, O’Brien inspires graduates to get past failure and pave their own paths.

“Today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment, you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.”

3. Preschool Graduation Speech

This preschool graduation speech is a great example for teachers who need to give a commencement address. A speech for a preschool or kindergarten graduation is different, in that the speaker is mostly communicating to the parents of the graduates. This preschool teacher delivers a meaningful speech that explains the joy in her job, while touching on the humorous things the students have said over the months.

“Tomorrow I give you back your child, the same child you entrusted in my care last fall, except now I give them back to you pounds heavier, inches taller… I give them back to you a little smarter, a little more mature, and a little more responsible than they were 10 months ago.”

4. David Foster Wallace Kenyon College Commencement Speech

In what is recognized as one of the best graduation speeches of all time, David Foster Wallace affirms to a class of liberal arts students that their education taught them how to think and how to be self-aware.

“The only thing that’s capital-T True is that you get to decide how you’re gonna try to see it. This, I submit, is the freedom of a real education, of learning how to be well-adjusted. You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t. You get to decide what to worship.”

5. Middle School Graduation Speech

A class president delivers a heartwarming message in a storytelling format at his middle school graduation ceremony.

“Once upon a time, three long years ago, a journey began. We were obedient little munchkins, climbing up stairs meant for giants, carrying heavy backpacks filled with every sort of colored pencil existing on this earth.”

6. University of Wisconsin-Madison Commencement Speech 2017

Steven Levitan, creator of the award-winning show “Modern Family,” was the commencement speaker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the graduating class of 2017. This is a good example to follow if you’re an alum of the college you’re presenting to.

“It’s hard to believe I graduated here 33 years ago. I still have the official university photo of me receiving my diploma wearing only shorts under my cap and gown and holding a big bottle of champagne, as if to say, ‘Hey world, lower your expectations.'”

7. Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard University Commencement Speech

Successful people are often chosen as commencement speakers for university graduation ceremonies. See how the CEO and founder of Facebook is able to portray humility in relating to the 2017 graduating class at Harvard University.

“I’m honored to be with you today because, let’s face it, you accomplished something I never could. If I get through this speech, it’ll be the first time I actually finish something at Harvard. Class of 2017, congratulations!”

8. Al Roker’s Commencement Speech at Champlain College

Upon receiving his doctorate degree of humane letters, the “Today Show” weather anchor delivered an inspirational speech to the graduating class. Roker speaks to the class’s generation and relates his graduation speech topic back to his own upbringing.

“Be in the moment. Stop living through your screen. Experience it now.”

9. Steve Jobs’ Commencement Speech at Stanford University

The Apple CEO’s commencement speech at 2005 to the graduating class at Stanford University is one of the classics. Jobs tells stories about his own experiences with dropping out of college, being fired from Apple, and being diagnosed with cancer.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of the other opinion drown out your own inner voice. And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

10. Elementary School Graduation Speech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVOQVsbkmbM

This fifth-grade class speaker relates her teacher’s message to a lesson from her grandfather as her opening hook .

“To survive the fifth grade is not barely making it through. Instead, to survive means to perform with distinction.

11. Ellen Degeneres Commencement Speech at Tulane University

The famous talk show host and comedian Ellen Degeneres’s commencement speech at Tulane University is a great example of how a guest speaker can identify with her audience.

“It was so important for me to lose everything because I found what the most important thing is. The most important thing is to be true to yourself.”

12. University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address

Rear Admiral William H. McRaven aims to inspire his audience right from the beginning. The rear admiral encourages the graduating class to change the world, relating everyday life struggles to those of the people in the military.

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”

13. Matthew McConaughey Commencement Speech

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey drew from his own personal story to deliver an inspirational commencement speech at the University of Houston. McConaughey gives the graduating class 13 life lessons, including to define success for yourself and find joy in your work.

“Prioritize who you are and who you want to be. Don’t spend time with anything that antagonizes your character.”

14. Commencement Address by Jim Carrey

In his commencement address at Maharishi University of Management, actor Jim Carrey tells an emotional personal story. Carrey uses emotion to encourage the graduating class to walk their own path and never settle in life.

“Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. Don’t let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory.”

15. Stephen Colbert’s Commencement Speech at Wake Forest University

The famous comedian delivers a witty and funny graduation speech, offering students practical advice for the real world.

“And if there’s one thing you need even more, it’s your own set of standards. It may seem counterintuitive now, but once you leave here, you may miss being graded on all your work. Because when you’re out of school, there are no objective criteria for achievement anymore.”

16. Inspiring Graduation Speech

In this remarkable graduation speech, the class valedictorian makes a political statement by publicly revealing her status as an undocumented immigrant. The speech starts out with jokes, but turns into a moving performance that’s as powerful as it is fun to watch.

“To each and every single one of you, I say thank you. You taught me that it’s okay to be different and that there will always be people willing to overlook those differences and accept you for being yourself.”

17. Funny Graduation Speech

This class-elected graduation speaker has the perfect delivery of well-crafted jokes and one-liners throughout her speech. She keeps the whole class laughing and never misses a beat.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to pursuing an additional 4-year education – which I can’t afford.”

18. Moving Graduation Speech

This college graduation speech educates listeners about women’s education through the eyes of the speaker, who encountered resistance to seeking an education just because she was a woman. It’s nearly impossible to listen to this speech without feeling moved to take action.

“I couldn’t have imagined attending college, simply because we weren’t allowed to. My sisters weren’t allowed to; the girls before me weren’t allowed to.”

19. Funny Graduation Speech

This graduation speech by the senior class president is humorous and engaging. The class president reminisces with plenty of jokes in a speech full of fun memories and just the right amount of inspiration.

“I know we can all agree that this class is resilient. We survived an earthquake, two blackouts, and Ebola.”

20. Short Graduation Speech

Graduation ceremonies can be long, but the speeches don’t have to be. This short graduation speech uses an “ABCs of life” format to pack a lot of power into a short amount of time. The class president gets wild applause from the audience for his quick but clever speech.

“We must Q – quit quitting, and R – run the race with patience.”

• Thank teachers and your parents or other family members for their support, encouragement, help, aid or personal assistance during your years of studying.
• Praise accomplishments and achievements of the class.
• Reflect upon the past years, what has changed and is interesting enough to share with all?
• Mention funny and exciting events, you can opt for funny oneliners or even small innocent jokes, poems or quotations from famous people if you like.
• Motivate your fellow students and teachers and professors to look to the bright future:
• I continue with the 10 most wanted and popular graduation speech topics:
• Give advice, but avoid boring cliches that are totally not surprising.
• Entertain by telling humorous anecdotes and vivid stories. Offer an account of an interesting or humorous incident.
• Express the feelings of the class. But do not go over the top.
• Say farewell to all attendees. This acknowledgment at parting is the warming-up for the next and final step
• Wish the graduates of your class all the best and thank them for listening.

Don’t forget to:

Thank the parents and family.  Have your class honor them with applause. Not only have they made sure you showed up to school, there’s a host of other responsibilities that parents have sacrificed to accomplish for you. Now is your moment to focus on them for a minute or so.

Thank the teachers and administrators.  Each teacher or professor works many long hours that you don’t see in the classroom, and many have poured their hearts and lives into teaching. Take this moment to make it worth it for them.

Use some of my vote of thanks example expressions to feed you imagination for topics for graduation speech a little bit.

Make the address personal. When you decide to make your graduation speech personal, you will experience much bigger success. It will also be more fun to write and deliver a talk that brings high school or college to a close with recognition of the small things in education life. The memories you will run across looking through yearbooks and talking about with friends will be priceless for you as well.

Calm the nerves.  It is very intimidating to address hundreds of people in the audience while delivering a graduation speech. Many of us have fear of public speaking. Before you proceed, do this test. And practice the tips.

Consider including:

STORIES Include stories about your school. These high school graduation speech topics can be about teachers and funny things that have happened over the year.

EVENTS Include motivational or moving events that may have happened – perhaps volunteer opportunities that have changed the students’ perspective. Make sure that any major events that have happened are recognized.

Sports and music events that have been important to the school need to be recognized, even if it happened in one of the prior years of your class and not the graduating year.

CLASS EXPERIENCE Bring the class experience alive for those attending the graduation. Grandparents and parents, as well as siblings, have heard the names from school.

Bring the people to the campus life that they have heard about.

DECEASED If a fellow student or teacher has died, mention that person. Make it not a funeral obituary eulogy but recognize them for the family who might be present.

PROJECTS Mention any projects that the school has undertaken; if you have been involved in a community garden or other volunteer organization give credit for the impact it has made.

Pet Peeve Speech Topics

Commemorative Speech

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How to Write a Memorable Graduation Speech

by Sue Weems | 0 comments

If you're lucky enough to be asked to speak at a commencement ceremony, at any level, you know the pressure of writing a memorable speech with broad appeal that fits within the time constraints. But how to write a graduation speech that doesn't bore, drag, or flop? Here's a secret: use your storytelling skills to write a great graduation speech.

As a teacher, I have probably heard close to a hundred commencement speeches—those five to twenty minute addresses full of life lessons, inspirational quotes and if we're lucky, funny stories. But more often than not, they fall pieced together clichés and motivational quotes. Forgettable.

The secret to writing a memorable graduation speech? Storytelling. Today let's look at how to use storytelling to write a memorable graduation speech.

A Speech to Remember

Out of all those school graduation speeches I've heard, I can honestly say I only remember one or two. One in particular always leaps to my mind.

A few years ago, a high school senior who had been selected by his peers as a graduation speaker told a story about playing a game with a childhood friend—a game where they pretended to be construction workers. A game they called “builders.”

He recounted their exploits in the sand box: moving dirt, building small stick structures, and working together to make something new. We laughed at his vivid imagery, each remembering our own toy trucks and shovels and play. 

He shifted from that childhood game to the class memories they had built together as students through the years, continuing to develop the theme of building a life.

And then he revealed that his childhood friend—his fellow builder—should have been sitting with their graduating class that day. He'd died in an accident a year before. The speaker closed with a challenge to his fellow students to remember their peer and to be builders—people who create things that outlast them.

The entire stadium went wild as the student graduation speech ended. I couldn't stop the tears flowing down my cheeks. When I saw the student speaker later, I thanked him for his speech, for sharing his love for his friend, for his story that struck such a hopeful note. 

It reminded me that human experience is best related not in quippy inspirational quotes strung together, but in stories. If you're asked to be a commencement speaker, here are a few storytelling principles that will help you write a great graduation speech. 

5 Steps to Write a Memorable Graduation Speech

1. consider the occasion and audience.

A speech for an elementary promotion ceremony has a much different focus and audience than one for a post-graduate ceremony. Just like when you write a story, take time to think about the target audience. 

Who are they? What are they celebrating? How can you meet their expectations for the day and commemorate them in a special way?

When my student gave his speech about his builder friend, he knew he was speaking to his peers, but he had an awareness that their families and teachers were also present. 

2. Choose a story

Here's where most speeches go wrong: they don't ground the remarks in a story. Sure, a lot of speeches rely on favorite quotes, but those are easily forgettable. Stories are how the human brain makes sense of the world; we're hardwired to remember stories.

Dig into your personal experiences, school memories, or other life experience. Usually, you want a true story, a personal story for this kind of speech.  

How do you choose?

When I help students with speeches or any kind of personal narrative writing, I always ask them to make a list of moments where they made a choice that changed their lives for better or worse. 

If you can't think of one, consider a time you watched first-hand as someone else made a significant choice and what it taught you. 

A story depends on a goal and a tough choice (remember dilemma ?)—that's what creates the significance. But you'll also want to choose a story that will emotionally connect with the audience. 

What story can you tell using vivid images that left you changed or taught you something valuable that would resonate with this audience? That's the story to choose.

3. Build a structure and tell the story

Once you know the story you want to tell, use what you know about premise to structure and tell the story first and then build out the rest of the speech around it. 

A premise outlines a character with a goal who meets conflict and has to act until they reach a crisis point and must make a tough decision creating a resolution. 

The length of the story will depend on the time constraints, but you won't be able to delve deeply into backstory or give a prologue. You're going to have to set the scene quickly and get the story in motion. 

An example: I once gave a speech to a group of students (and their families) who were being honored for their resilience and hard work. Most had found themselves  with failing grades and low confidence at one point in the year, but with their hard work and the help of their families and teachers, they had turned it around.  I told the story of a time my daughter was in middle school taking a challenging math class. We would sit at the kitchen table while she insisted she couldn't do the work, it was too hard, etc. It went on for a couple weeks, and we were both so frustrated. I realized I had a choice: I needed to remind her that this was her challenge and that SHE had a couple of different routes (or choices) to solve it.  She could drop the class. She could spend all year crying at the table, slogging through the work and pass it somehow. Or, she could remember that anytime something is new, it's hard, and she could do her best, knowing it would get easier with time—just like riding her bike.

Once I had told the story, I connected it to their experience. I congratulated them on learning so early that they could do far more than they first believed and that hard work and practice makes new tasks easier.

At the end, I told them I hoped they would remember this moment of recognition the next time they thought something was hard. 

Once you know the story you want to tell your audience, build a simple intro to connect it to their experience. After the story, draw out the insight and connect to the event (in this case, their graduation). 

4. Lean into theme

The student who gave the memorable builder speech I shared above leaned into a key theme : building something that lasts. It was the point of his story and he used it as an illustration across different ages to show how the childhood lessons they learned had staying power.

You can choose a common theme , but know that your story will make the application unique. Also, don't feel like you have to state the theme over and over. If the story and insight are strong, stating the theme once might be enough. 

5. Revise to get clear and concise

To revise a speech, I look at two things: the time it takes to deliver and the clarity of the story. I always try to err on the side of speaking for LESS time than I am allotted. This gives space in the speech for audience reaction. 

I typically write speeches out in short chunks of text, and I go through and group them:

• connection or insight
• call to action and close

Then, look at every sentence and get brutal with the cuts. Where have I spent too much time describing something? Where have I fallen into unnecessary details? Which sentences are not needed? 

I look at verbs and sentence length too, making sure that the sentences read aloud in a natural and even musical way. Try to vary sentence length and choose the most precise, coherent language. 

Run through the speech a few times aloud, noting where you have to stop and reread to revise. 

A speech doesn't have to be perfect to meet the audience where they are and show both respect for the moment and joy in the celebration. 

Writing a graduation speech that inspires and remains with the audience long after the event doesn't have to be a daunting task. Use these storytelling tips to write and deliver a great speech on that special day. 

Have you ever heard a graduation speech that stayed with you? What did the speaker say that was especially memorable? Share your best tips in the comments. 

For today's practice, write a graduation speech. It might be for a real graduation, or you could also use it as a way to develop a character for a work in progress, since their voice and backstory will be different from your own. 

Set the timer for fifteen minutes . Write the speech and then share a draft in the Pro Practice Workshop , offering feedback to a few others writers. 

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

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How to Write a Thank You Speech for Accepting a Teacher's Award

Rebecca mayglothling, 12 sep 2022.

A teaching award is a flattering gift from the students, parents or administration of a school. Teachers know their jobs are tough and they do the best they can, but an award solidifies that others are noticing their hard work. Whether this award is for teacher of the year or an award delivered by your department, it is an honor.

When a teacher receives an award, whether this be at the high school level or below, they may need to deliver a speech of acceptance. Writing a speech of acceptance for a teaching award involves remembering the reasons a person teaches. Below are some tips for perfecting your thank you speech and ways to avoid nervousness at an award ceremony.

Explore this article

• The Opening
• Express Your Feelings
• The Closing
• Sample Thank You Appreciation Speech

1 The Opening

Create an opening expressing thanks for the award. Within the opening, give a general thank you to administrators, parents, your coworkers and even your students. If specific individuals are responsible for presenting the award, thank them by name. Keep the thank yous at the beginning very minimal, but be sure to include every person who deserves credit in the presentation of your teacher award.

2 Express Your Feelings

Continue the speech with a short review of what the award means to you. Acknowledge that being a school teacher is not always easy, but it is a meaningful profession and worth the hard work. If time allows, insert a small anecdote about teaching that demonstrates how the job affects you and enriches your life. Use this time to smile and convey to the audience humility and grace in receiving the honor. Make eye contact with people who are in the front row or who you know will make you less nervous.

Oftentimes, adding moments of laughter to your acceptance speech can alleviate your nervousness and maybe help you not become emotional. Be sure to thank any specific teachers or family members that gave your moral support and helped you work through various challenges, as they contributed to helping you become the best teacher you could be.

3 The Closing

Close the speech with additional thanks and a sentence that encapsulates your appreciation for being recognized for your good work and dedication. Also remember that mentioning specific people in the closing is not necessary. However, if there were other nominees, it is respectful to acknowledge them in the closing as well. The thank you associated with the closing is usually completed quickly, usually followed by a descent from the stage.

4 Extra Tips

Review the speech for completion. Be sure every person or group associated with the award is mentioned in the speech. Review the speech for grammatical or spelling errors which may cause mistakes during speech delivery.

After you’ve done this, read the speech aloud in front of a mirror. Using a timer is also helpful for indicating how long your speech is running. Thank you speeches are usually 3-5 minutes long in length and should never exceed 10 minutes. There may be a limited amount of time for speech delivery so make sure the speech is able to be delivered under the time allotted.

Last but not least, remember that you’ll be delivering this to a room of great teachers and supportive administrators that just want to see you exceed. Practicing will always help ease nerves, but so will remembering that this small amount of public speaking is taking place in front of people who care about you.

5 Sample Thank You Appreciation Speech

Thank you for a wonderful recognition. The positive attitude and passion I see in my students makes the hard work preparing lessons so rewarding. I hope each and every one of you will find the extra time you dedicate during the school year will yield an enjoyable journey in your next endeavors. Please keep in touch and let me celebrate you.

​ Should you start with a good morning? ​

Start as you mean to go on is a passionate plea of online speech instructors. However, accepting an award already presents you with a room primed for good will. Accept graciously and enjoy your moment. You are a wonderful person for winning a teaching award.

• Read your speech to friends or colleagues before the actual delivery. An audience of fellow educators may find discrepancies and assist with speech delivery.

About the Author

Rebecca Mayglothling has worked directly with toddlers and preschoolers for more than three years. She has published numerous lesson plans online as well as parenting and teaching advice. She continues to keep ahead of parenting methods and is eager to share them through her professional writing.

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Readings With Hope

140 Congratulations on Years of Service Messages

In business and professional endeavors, time often seems to fly by. Before we know it, days become months, and months transform into years. 

Amidst this, it’s essential to pause, reflect, and recognize the milestones achieved, both big and small. 

One such significant milestone is the anniversary of an employee’s tenure with an organization. Recognizing years of service not only honors the individual’s dedication and commitment but also reinforces the values of loyalty and perseverance. 

Whether it’s your colleague’s first anniversary or their 24th, a heartfelt message can make all the difference. 

Dive in as we explore some congratulations messages that perfectly encapsulate gratitude, admiration, and the joy of celebrating years of service.

Congratulations on Years of Service Messages [Our Top Picks]

• Amazing! Another year chalked up, and you continue to inspire us with your dedication. Cheers to all the years you’ve given and here’s to many more !
• The pages of this company’s story are illuminated by your hard work and passion . Congratulations on reaching this milestone!
• Time flies when you’re making a difference . Kudos to you for another year of excellent service!
• Your dedication isn’t just about the years; it’s about the invaluable moments and lessons you’ve shared with us. Congrats!
• Celebrating not just the duration, but the quality of your service. Well done on another year!
• Years come and go, but your unyielding spirit remains constant . Cheers to your years of service!
• It’s not just a number. It’s countless days of perseverance and commitment . Congratulations!
• Here’s to another year of your stellar contribution . You’re an indispensable part of our journey!
• As the years pile on, your dedication only grows stronger . Congrats on your service anniversary!
• Not everyone can maintain excellence year in, year out. But you? You make it look effortless .

• Cheers to the memories created, challenges overcome, and the bright future that awaits. Congratulations on your years of service!
• Behind this service milestone lies boundless dedication and relentless hard work. Well done!
• The best part about celebrating your service is witnessing the impact you’ve made over the years. Congrats!
• We don’t count the years; we count the memories, hard work, and growth . Kudos to you!
• Every year you surpass the last with your dedication and enthusiasm. Cheers to all the years gone by and the ones to come!
• With every year, you add a new chapter of inspiration to our company’s history. Congratulations!
• Service years are just numbers, but the legacy you’re creating here is timeless . Congrats on your anniversary!
• Each year with you has been a journey of discovery , growth, and success. Thank you for your commitment!
• It’s not the years in the service, but the service in the years that truly matter . Congrats!
• Every service year milestone deserves recognition, but yours deserves a standing ovation . Congratulations!

Congratulations on Years of Service Messages to Boss

• Boss, every year with you at the helm has been inspirational . Congratulations on your service milestone!
• Under your leadership, we’ve witnessed the true meaning of commitment and vision . Kudos on another year well served!
• Leading with grace and steering us to greatness, you’ve truly been the guiding star . Congrats on your years of service!
• It’s not just another year; it’s another year of outstanding leadership . Congratulations, Boss!
• Your dedication serves as the benchmark for all of us. Here’s to your remarkable years of service!
• Boss, with each passing year, you continue to set the bar high . Congratulations on your service anniversary!
• Your years of service aren’t just numbers; they’re a testimony of your legendary leadership .
• Cheers to the captain of the ship for steering us through thick and thin. Happy Anniversary on your service years!
• The number of years might tell how long you’ve been here, but your leadership tells the story of success . Congratulations!
• Every year under your guidance has been a masterclass in dedication and vision . Congrats, Boss!

• Leadership, mentorship, and ceaseless dedication – all bundled in the years you’ve given. Kudos to you!
• Not just a boss, but a beacon whose years of service light up our paths to success . Congratulations!
• It’s an honor to commemorate the service years of a leader who’s been both a guide and a mentor . Congratulations!
• Years of service reflect not just time, but the magnitude of positive influence you’ve instilled. Cheers, Boss!
• Your journey, Boss, has been nothing short of inspirational . Here’s to many more years of leading us!
• Every year you’ve served is a testament to your exemplary leadership and unwavering commitment . Congrats!
• To the boss who transforms challenges into opportunities, your years of service are a badge of honor and respect .
• Here’s to the leader who’s been the constant north star , guiding us through every challenge. Happy service anniversary!
• In celebrating your years of service, we’re actually celebrating years of growth and achievements under your leadership.
• Boss, the years might age, but your vision and dedication remain timeless . Congratulations on your service anniversary!

Congratulations on Years of Service Messages to Coworker and Colleagues 

• Sharing the workspace with you has been a journey of learning, growth, and countless memories. Cheers to your impressive years of service!
• Watching you pour dedication and passion year after year is truly inspiring . Congratulations on another service milestone, dear colleague!
• Every team needs its pillars, and you, my friend, are one of ours. Heartfelt congratulations on your service anniversary!
• To the coworker who turns mundane Mondays into memorable ones, kudos on your years of service!
• Here’s to celebrating not just the years you’ve served, but the countless moments of laughter, learning, and collaboration we’ve shared.
• With every year, you add a new chapter of dedication and brilliance to our collective journey. Congratulations!
• Working alongside you has been nothing short of an adventure. Cheers to the many years of service and the memories we’ve forged!
• Here’s to a colleague who’s been the constant source of positivity and drive. Congratulations on another year of unmatched dedication!
• The coffee breaks, the brainstorming sessions, the late-night projects – every moment with you has been a lesson in commitment. Happy service anniversary !
• Year after year, you’ve been the embodiment of dedication and perseverance. Kudos to your commendable service, dear coworker!

• Your journey is a testament to the saying, “It’s not about the destination, but the journey and the company .” Congrats on your service years!
• To the colleague who’s more like family now, your years of service have been a blend of professionalism and warmth. Congratulations !
• Every year with you has brought new stories, challenges, and achievements. Here’s to celebrating your stellar service !
• Behind every successful project and coffee-spilled keyboard, there’s been your unwavering spirit. Cheers to your years of service!
• You’re not just a coworker but an institution of knowledge and dedication in yourself. Happy anniversary on your service years!
• Your commitment isn’t measured in years, but in the countless contributions and smiles you’ve brought. Congrats , dear colleague!
• Celebrating a coworker whose service years are filled with tales of passion, determination, and endless camaraderie .
• The years may have flown by, but the impact you’ve made in this workplace is timeless. Congratulations on your service milestone!
• Here’s to another year of celebrating you – the coworker who makes workdays brighter and challenges more bearable .
• In celebrating your years of service, we’re actually celebrating the essence of teamwork and unity. Heartfelt congratulations !

Congratulations on Years of Service Messages to Manager 

• Managing isn’t just about overseeing; it’s about leading with heart and vision . Congratulations on your years of impactful service!
• The journey has been long, and the challenges many, but you’ve stood tall and guided us all. Kudos on your years of service, dear Manager!
• Through every high and low, your leadership has been the steady force pushing us forward. Congrats on another year of remarkable service!
• The chapters of our team’s success are incomplete without your invaluable leadership . Cheers to your years of service!
• Here’s to the manager who’s not just counting years but making the years count . Congratulations!
• Every year, you redefine what it means to be a dynamic leader . Congratulations on your service anniversary!
• Seasons change, but your commitment and dedication remain unwavering . Hats off to your years of service!
• Not all managers can turn challenges into milestones the way you do. Congratulations on another year of proven leadership!
• To the manager who’s been the backbone of our achievements: your years of service are a testament to excellence .
• Your journey is a masterclass in leadership and perseverance. Bravo on your commendable years of service!

• Celebrating not just the years you’ve served, but the countless lives you’ve touched and inspired . Congrats, Manager!
• Here’s to a manager whose years of service speak volumes about commitment and passion . Well done!
• The milestones achieved, the growth witnessed – all have your imprint . Congratulations on your years of service!
• Behind every great team is a manager who’s given years of dedication and heart . Cheers to you!
• Your service years are a journey of resilience, determination, and endless inspiration . Congratulations, dear Manager!
• Through your years of service, you’ve not just managed teams, but also dreams and aspirations. Kudos to you!
• Here’s to celebrating the years you’ve transformed challenges into achievements. Heartfelt congratulations , Manager!
• As you mark another year of service, know that your leadership has been the lighthouse in our professional storms. Congrats!
• Celebrating a manager who, year after year, turns visions into realities. Congratulations on your service milestone!
• Each year with you as our manager has been a lesson in excellence and commitment. Cheers to your distinguished service!

Funny Congratulations on Years of Service Messages

• Here’s to another year of you barely getting caught sleeping at your desk. Just kidding! Congrats on your service!
• Is it just me, or did this year have more coffee breaks than work days? Cheers to another year of caffeinated service!
• They say time flies when you’re having fun. Or was it when you’re hiding from the boss? Either way, congratulations on another year!
• Another year of service? You deserve a medal… or at least a bigger coffee mug !
• Look at you, racking up years like they’re loyalty points at a coffee shop. Happy service anniversary !
• Congratulations on another 365 days of expertly pretending to look busy! Well played .
• Did you know? Every year of service adds another layer to your professional superhero cape. Fly high , my friend!
• Here’s to you: dodging work disasters and office drama for another year like a pro! Congrats on your service!
• Another year of service, and you’ve still not shared the secret of your eternal youth. What’s up with that? Cheers !
• I’d say ‘Congrats on another year!’ but I’m just here for the anniversary cake. Pass a slice !

• Here’s to another year of mastering the art of looking productive while doing the least. You’re an inspiration !
• Another year, and your service plant hasn’t withered! That’s a win in itself. Happy anniversary !
• Cheers to the only person I know who has made it this long without being abducted by aliens for research. Happy service year !
• They say time flies; you must be the pilot because look at all these service years! Landing smoothly , aren’t we?
• Year after year, you prove that the office chair doesn’t wear out as easily as we thought. Kudos to you!
• Another year down, and not a single office pen lost. Now that’s an achievement! Congratulations !
• Here’s to the unsung hero who’s survived another year of office air conditioning wars. Cheers to your service!
• Congratulations on being a year closer to retirement… or at least a year closer to thinking about thinking about it.
• Another year of service, and the office plants are still alive! Either you’re good luck, or you’re the only one watering them. Congrats .
• On your service anniversary, let’s raise a toast: to all the work you’ve done and all the work you’ve delegated . Cheers!

Congratulations on 25 Years of Service Messages

• A quarter of a century, laden with dedication and unwavering commitment! Your 25 years of service are truly legendary . Congratulations!
• Celebrating 25 years is not just marking time, but celebrating the countless milestones and memories. Kudos to your outstanding service!
• Two and a half decades of excellence and still counting! Your journey is nothing short of inspirational . Congratulations on 25 years!
• Every year in your 25 has been a beacon of commitment, passion, and sheer hard work. Cheers to your remarkable service!
• Silver jubilees are reserved for the legends, and you, without a doubt, are one. Congratulations on 25 years of unmatched dedication!
• 25 years! It’s not just a number but a journey filled with stories, achievements, and boundless inspiration . Kudos to you!
• Your 25-year journey is a perfect mix of hard work, perseverance, and countless successes. Heartfelt congratulations on this milestone!
• Quarter of a century and still radiating passion like it’s day one! Your 25 years of service are truly commendable .
• In celebrating your 25 years, we’re not just marking time, but honoring an era of dedication and achievement . Congratulations!
• From day one to year twenty-five, your journey has been an epitome of commitment and excellence. Cheers to your stellar service!

• To 25 years of making a difference, leaving an imprint, and inspiring all around you. Congratulations on this grand milestone!
• Celebrating 25 years isn’t just about tenure, but about the timeless legacy you’re creating. Kudos on this remarkable journey!
• Here’s to 25 years of turning challenges into opportunities and visions into realities. Heartfelt congratulations !
• Quarter of a century seems like a long time, but with your passion, it seems you’ve only just begun. Cheers to 25 years!
• Not everyone can say they’ve dedicated 25 years to excellence. But you? You’ve lived it, and we’re all inspired . Congratulations!
• 25 years, and every day you’ve showcased what dedication and love for one’s work truly looks like. Congratulations on this grand achievement!
• Your 25-year journey is filled with tales of determination, growth, and boundless achievements. Cheers to your service!
• Marking 25 years is about celebrating the fire that still burns bright and the passion that never wanes. Kudos to you!
• A silver jubilee in service is a testament to golden qualities of perseverance and commitment. Congratulations on your 25 years!
• Here’s to the legend who’s made every year of these 25 count with hard work and sheer dedication. Bravo on your service milestone!

Congratulations on 50 Years of Service Messages

• Half a century of service is not just a milestone, it’s an epic saga of dedication. Unparalleled congratulations on your golden jubilee!
• Celebrating 50 years of turning challenges into achievements and visions into legacies. Your journey is nothing short of historic . Congratulations!
• Half a century and your passion still burns brighter than ever. Kudos to your unmatched commitment of 50 years!
• Your 50-year service is a timeline of hard work, perseverance, and countless inspirational tales. Heartfelt congratulations on this monumental achievement !
• Here’s to 50 years of relentless pursuit of excellence, to the legend that you’ve become. Cheers to your golden service anniversary!
• 50 years is not just about time; it’s about a lifetime of dedication, hard work, and lasting impacts. Congratulations on reaching this remarkable milestone!
• To the timeless gem who’s given half a century to crafting a legacy of excellence – congratulations on your 50 years of service!
• Few can claim a 50-year journey of unwavering commitment and passion. You’re in a league of your own. Bravo on reaching this pinnacle!
• From year one to year fifty, your journey has been a beacon for all to follow. Heartfelt congratulations on your golden service jubilee!
• Decades come and go, but the legacy you’ve built over 50 years stands tall, inspiring all. Cheers to your phenomenal service!

• A 50-year odyssey filled with tales of dedication, challenges, and boundless achievements. Congratulations on this grand journey!
• Here’s to celebrating half a century of unparalleled commitment, passion, and trailblazing achievements. Kudos to your 50 years of service!
• The golden mark of 50 years isn’t just a milestone, it’s a testament to the timeless impact you’ve made. Heartfelt congratulations !
• 50 years of service showcases not just longevity but a lifetime of passion, growth, and dedication. Bravo on this landmark achievement!
• Your 50-year service journey is an encyclopedia of hard work, dedication, and lessons for all. Cheers to your golden anniversary!
• Through half a century, your dedication has been unwavering, and your contributions immeasurable. Congratulations on this monumental milestone!
• As you mark 50 years of service, know that you’ve created more than just a legacy; you’ve crafted an era of excellence. Heartfelt congratulations !
• Every decade in your 50 years has been a chapter of commitment, growth, and inspiration. Kudos on reaching this golden milestone!
• 50 years, and every day you’ve epitomized what dedication and love for one’s work truly mean. Congratulations on this grand achievement !
• To 50 golden years of turning dreams into realities and challenges into stepping stones – congratulations on your unparalleled journey!

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Texas teachers stand behind Kamala Harris after years of feeling targeted, neglected by Republicans

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HOUSTON — Gena Coston summed up the experience of being a teacher over the last four years with two words: very stressful.

Texas teachers have reported feeling burned out, underresourced and underappreciated in the last few years as they’ve dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, classroom changes spearheaded by Republican officials and unsuccessful calls for more state funding toward raises.

For those gathered at the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention in Houston on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris’ message of appreciation was a welcome change.

“It is you who have taken on the most noble of work, which is to concern yourself with the well-being of the children of America,” Harris said.

Harris’ remarks came on the last day of AFT’s national convention, three days after the labor group of more than 1.7 million members became the first union to endorse her presidential run.

“I'm excited because I know that she cares,” said Coston, who teaches eighth grade English Language Arts in the Aldine Independent School District.

Gena Coston poses for a portrait at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention after Vice President Kamala Harris’ keynote speech. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune

Harris’ message was on par with what some educators said they hoped to hear from her in recent days — a message of solidarity. They acknowledged that while the president cannot control everything that happens in schools, their influence and support while shaping the national agenda is meaningful, particularly at this time in Texas.

[ Kamala Harris’ historic candidacy energizes Texas’ Black and Indian American voters ]

In the last few years, teachers had to adapt to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment declined. People left the profession. Officials, districts and parents fought over mask mandates . New state laws limited how they could teach about race, gender and sexual orientation and expanded the influence of Christianity. School boards banned books . A school mass shooting happened. The state ousted the democratically elected school board and superintendent of its largest district. Gov. Greg Abbott used his power to push for a program that would allow families to use tax dollars to pay for their children’s private education. And through it all, their calls for raises were largely unheeded .

One teacher at the convention, Tiffany Spurlock, who teaches second grade math and science in Cy Fair ISD, said she is concerned about school districts’ budget woes, accentuated by inflation and the Texas Legislature’s failure to approve significant funding increases amid the fight for vouchers last year.

Spurlock also worries about her colleagues in Houston ISD, which is currently under state oversight. She and her three children previously attended school in the district, and she said current students, parents and teachers are being held to an unfair standard.

Left: Convention attendees hug during Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III's speech. Right: Vice President Kamala Harris arrives on stage to deliver the keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune

Attendees of the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention clap during Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III's speech, a pastor who spoke before Vice President Kamala Harris' keynote speech at the convention. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune

Spurlock said Harris has the perfect chance to advocate for a system that serves all families.

“We have to make sure we're doing things that’s best for kids,” Spurlock said. “Not just processes wise, not just systematically, but also morally.”

Harris, who arrived in Houston a day earlier to receive a briefing on Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts, said Thursday she would fight for the rights of children and educators to have adequate resources to thrive in and out of the classroom.

She said she would also push back against a conservative-backed plan for a second Donald Trump presidency known as Project 2025, which calls for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education, phasing out billions of dollars in assistance to schools serving low-income families and rolling back protections for students on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

“Project 2025 is a plan to return America to a dark past,” Harris said. “But we are not going back. No, we will move forward.”

Prior to Harris’ arrival, some advocacy organizations criticized her for being “out of touch” with Texas values.

“The people of Texas made it clear that it wants parents in charge of their children's education — not government,” said Genevieve Collins, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Texas.

Coston saw Harris’ visit as an opportunity for the vice president to hear teachers out. She said Texas teachers are quitting their jobs because the pay and school funding are inadequate. She worries about the rise in teachers without formal training. She is also concerned about student and teacher safety, particularly as it relates to gun violence.

Tiffany Spurlock poses for a portrait at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune

“We gotta feed our teachers and get them motivated,” Coston said. “So in turn, they'll get the kids motivated.”

Going into Harris’ speech, Coston’s expectation was for the vice president to show awareness of what’s going on in schools. She said she was encouraged by what she heard.

“Now we just gotta see it happen,” Coston said.

Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater ; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher ; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar , D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival , Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!

2024 Texas Tribune

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How to Make a Good Speech for School

Last Updated: February 26, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,269,635 times.

A good speech in school will earn you the admiration of your teachers and peers alike. You probably won't deliver the kind of speech you hear in the movies, but that's a good thing: people will enjoy your original take much more. From getting an idea to conquering stage fright, here are the steps to take if you want to make your final speech a memorable, exciting success.

Sample Speeches

Writing the Speech

• If you're not sure which theme to choose, write down or summarize a few stories and statements you could include in your speech. Pick the ones you like best and see if there's a unifying theme to tie them together.
• See What to Do and What Not to Do for more advice on themes.

• Don't interrupt one point with a clause, or section set aside by commas or parentheses. Instead of saying "Our tennis and basketball teams, which we all know won the regional championships two years ago, need increased funding to compete," say "Our tennis and basketball teams both won the regional championships two years ago. Now we need to increase their funding to compete with other schools."
• You can reference your school's slang once or twice to get a laugh, but don't overdo it, especially if there are parents in the audience.

• Find a broad message that your whole audience can connect to their own life, but still deals with a specific idea. For instance: "Become an even better version of the hero who inspired you." (But don't steal your "original" idea from this website!)
• Your stories can be specific incidents in your life or from history, but you should connect them to a more general idea. For instance, you could tell a story about your sibling's hospital visit, then go on to talk about overcoming fear and hardship in general.
• If you like what you're writing but it doesn't fit the theme you had planned, it's fine to adjust your topic or switch it entirely. Switch back and forth between writing stories and brainstorming a theme if you keep getting stuck.

• Surprise your audience by diving right into a tough story. "When I was ten years old, I lost my father."
• Make your audience laugh by telling a joke, especially one that everyone in the room will get. "Hello everyone. Let's have a round of applause for the guy who installed air conditioning."
• Start with a grand, thought-provoking statement. "Our galaxy contains billions of earth-like planets, and we're only just beginning to discover them."
• Most likely, someone else will introduce you, and many of your classmates know you already. Unless you're asked specifically to introduce yourself, you can get right to the good stuff.

• To use an example from earlier, if your theme is "Become an even better version of the hero who inspired you," you could begin your speech with two or three sentence about your hero, then say "You all have heroes who inspire you, but you don't have to just follow them. You can become even greater than the people you look up to."

• Include phrases such as "Now I'd like to talk about..." and "But we should also remember..." when moving on to your next idea.

• Build up to a big ending, then crack a joke to wrap up a funny speech. "And I know when you walk to the ballot box tomorrow, you'll be ready to do the right thing. Protect the interests of yourself and your school by washing your hands afterward. Do you know how many people touch that thing?"
• If you're giving a commencement speech, leave people feeling excited or awed about the future. This is a big moment and you have the power to help them realize it. "Years from now, you will be the father or mother your kid looks up to. The writer who changes the way we think. The inventor who creates new ways to live. Come up to the stage and start becoming heroes!"

• Have a teacher, family member, or trusted friend check it over for grammar mistakes and offer feedback. Spelling isn't as important, since you'll be speaking out loud.

• If your topic involves a lot of numbers, plan to write them on the board so your audience can remember them

• Your notes are there to remind you what to say next and of important facts. "Move on to bear wrestling story (guy's name is Paul Bunyan)" is the level of detail you need.

Practicing and Delivering the Speech

• Practice giving your speech in as situation as similar to your actual speech as possible.
• In general, you should stay fairly still while giving a speech. Small hand gestures and occasionally moving to a new spot are fine, especially if they help you feel and appear confident

• If you speech is too long, you absolutely need to cut some material out of it or shorten the longer stories or ideas. If you're giving a commencement speech, aim for a 10 or 15 minute maximum. An election speech should be no more than a few minutes, and your teacher should be able to tell you the time limit for a class assignment speech.

• If you can't stop rushing, work out how long you should spend on each section and write the number of minutes at the top of each index card or paragraph. Practice near a clock so you can check whether you're on pace.

• Use slightly different words each time once you have the main ideas down. Try not to get caught up on exact memorization; using a new phrase to communicate the written idea makes your speech sound more natural.

• Practice varying your facial expression if your face looks fixed and mechanical.
• Try to vary the tone of your voice as well. Don't make it sound like you're reciting every word from memory; pretend you're speaking in ordinary conversation.

• Try to make eye contact with different members of your audience throughout the speech. Don't stare at any one person for too long.
• Resist the temptation to hide by standing near a corner or large object.
• Don't fidget, tap your foot, or make other nervous gestures. Try slowly walking back and forth across the stage to get rid of your nervous energy.

• Dressing nicely will increase your confidence and gain respect and attention from your audience.

What to Do and What Not to Do

• Memories your class shares and personal memories that many people will connect to, such as your first day at the school.
• Overcoming obstacles. Talk about how your classmates overcame problems related to academics, finances, and health, and how proud everyone is that they're standing here.
• The diversity of your classmates and celebrating the rich variety of experiences, personalities, and interests at your school. Describe some of the many ways people will go on to do good in the world.

• Address your audience directly. Ask them questions to get them thinking, although you shouldn't expect an answer.
• Use groups of three. The human brain loves repetition, and especially trios. Start three sentences with the same phrase, speaking louder each sentence.
• Use emotive language. Try to provoke a strong emotional response in your audience, not present a list of facts to them.

• Don't tell stories that only a few friends will understand. Even references that your whole class will get should be used sparingly if there are parents in the room as well.

• Go change the world!
• Today is not the last day of your education, but the first.
• The future belongs to you.
• If elected, I will be the voice of the students.
• It's time for change!

• If you're giving a high school commencement speech, remember that not everyone in your class will be attending college. Don't joke about your education letting you avoid a "bad" profession; chances are good there's a parent who has that job out in the audience.=

Common Questions: Tips for Writing & Rehearsing a Speech

How do you start a speech for school?

Start by introducing yourself and thanking the audience. You can kick off the speech with a relevant “what if” question that gets the audience thinking and expand on it. Or try starting with a strong statement or quote related to your topic, then follow it up with an impactful question to answer in your speech. [14] X Research source

Where do I start when I'm writing a speech?

Start by sitting down and brainstorming to get your creative juices flowing. What is the focus of your speech? Who is your audience? Why is your speech important? Once you have some notes down, start refining your ideas until you get to one main point or theme that you’ll base your speech on. [15] X Research source

What parts should I include in a speech to make it the most effective?

Create a speech that has a clear introduction for your main point or thesis statement. Then, include and expand on 2-3 main points to make up the body of your speech. To conclude, summarize and restate your thesis to include your key points, and then make your closing statement. [16] X Research source

How do I get better at giving a speech I've written?

Read the speech out loud several times to get a feel for it. Record or take video of yourself giving the speech to find any weak spots and adjust anything that feels awkward or choppy. Ask friends or family to watch you rehearse and give you honest feedback. Then, just keep practicing until you've nailed it. [17] X Research source

• Look at everyone in the audience, not just one person. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure you don't offend or embarrass your audience. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Before you start, pick a spot on the wall to focus on. Throughout the speech, keep looking at that spot after each sentence. This shows to your audience and teacher that you can make eye contact! Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

Things You'll Need

• Writing tool
• Index cards

You Might Also Like

• ↑ [v161163_b01].12 November 2019.
• ↑ https://finley-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/f/finley-h/localcontent/how_to_write_a_speech.pdf
• ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/articles/for-the-novice-six-simple-steps-to-writing-a-fantastic-speech
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-introductions
• ↑ [v161163_b01]. 12 November 2019.
• ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zv7fqp3/articles/z4w96v4
• ↑ https://classroom.synonym.com/write-good-speech-school-4859.html
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-delivery
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-start-off-a-speech
• ↑ https://open.maricopa.edu/com225/chapter/selecting-a-topic-brainstorming-your-ideas/
• ↑ https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/support/writingcenter/public-speaking/resources-for-public-speaking/speech-structure
• ↑ https://open.maricopa.edu/com225/chapter/practicing-your-speech/

About This Article

To make a good speech for school, choose a theme or topic to focus your speech on so it's easier to write. When you're writing your speech, stick with simple language so your audience understands and doesn't get bored. Also, try to start your speech with a joke, story, or shocking fact that will immediately grab their attention. Remember to talk directly to your audience by asking rhetorical questions and making references they'll understand. End your speech with something memorable, like an inspirational quote or a call to action. To learn more about how to practice and memorize your speech before you present it, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Joseph R. Biden

Remarks honoring the national and state teachers of the year.

The First Lady. [ Laughter ] Thank you. Thank you. Please.

Thank you, Miguel, and thank you to all of our honored guests.

You know, it meant so much to me getting some time with all of you today. And I loved hearing about the moments that bring you joy and laughter and about your challenges as well. Because, hey, we've all been there, haven't we? This job isn't always easy, but it matters. And the Biden-Harris administration understands that.

I always knew that Joe would be a great education President. Because he's seen how hard you work and how much you help our students. And that's why he's done so much to support better pay and loan forgiveness.

Audience member. Thank you, Joe! [ Laughter ] Thank you!

The First Lady. It's why he put a public-school educator in charge of the Department of Education. [ Applause ] See? I promised.

So we're here to take a moment on one of the biggest stages in the world, the White House, to say that teachers change lives. And I think that message matters more than ever. Because lately, when I turn on the TV, I see pundits and politicians talking about our profession. I hear them attacking our public schools, distorting the truth about what we do, and saying that parents and teachers are at odds.

But that's not what I've seen. As I've traveled this country, I've visited some pretty amazing programs where parents and teachers are working hand in hand to help kids overcome challenges and make our schools better for everyone. There's no divide between those who love our students and those who teach them, because we all do both.

Parents know that we are our children's first teachers. And educators know that this isn't just a job that we walk away from at 3:15. [ Laughter ] When we're caring for our own kids, we're thinking about someone else's children too. We chose this path out of love for what we do and who we teach.

Parents and educators are partners. And we, together—we know what our students need. They need kindness and respect. They need grace and the chance to make mistakes. They need room to explore this world, to be curious and surprised and disappointed and triumphant. They need to know that they are valued and safe.

And parents can't always do that alone. Parents don't want to do that alone. Every day, they put a piece of their hearts on that school bus, send their kids to school, trusting, hoping that someone will listen when they can't; answer questions and ignite imaginations; and Band-Aid scrapes when, you know, they aren't there to do it themselves.

You fulfill that hope every single day. [ Applause ] Yes, thank you.

And with their parents' love and your guidance, with the faith and the fortitude of their community behind them, students grow into the people they dream of becoming. Together, you shape and shepherd their lives.

My grandmother was a teacher in a small town in New Jersey.

Audience member. Woo! [ Laughter ]

The First Lady. Over there—there she is, New Jersey. [ Laughter ]

And she loved her work, and her students loved her in return. And just like you might see in the movies, she used to call her students to class with a big brass bell. And when she died, she didn't leave behind a big, giant estate. But what I inherited from her, what I still have to this day, is that bell.

And I sometimes think about how her legacy resonated into the world like waves of sound, changing those who heard its ring.

And I think of every student who she taught, you know, and wonder what amazing things they grew up to do. Perhaps they are doctors or architects or scientists. And of course, there's at least one teacher. Today, all of you ring your own bell, pulling each person you teach into a harmony that never ends.

Right now someone out there is a better thinker because of you. Someone is standing a little taller because you helped her find the confidence that she needed. Someone is working a little harder because you pushed him to try. Someone is kinder because you showed her what that meant. And someone is braver because you helped him find his courage.

Never stop ringing that bell. Never forget that, student by student, the lives you change go on to change the world.

[ At this point, audience members gave a standing ovation. ]

Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

And now I'm proud to introduce someone who has answered her call with passion, persistence, and pride: the 2023 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecka Peterson.

National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Kermanshahi Peterson. Thank you, Dr. Biden. It's such a tremendous honor to be recognized by a First Lady who champions the profession as one of us. You exhibit for the Nation the dedication we all feel for this profession.

And thank you, Secretary Cardona, for keeping teachers at the center of your work.

Thank you to my family. Without your support, I couldn't be here today.

Well, today I stand in front of you with the name Rebecka Peterson, yet the name I was given at birth is Rebecka Mozdeh Kermanshahi, a beautiful intersection of my two family cultures: Rebecka from my mother's Swedish heritage, Kermanshahi and Mozdeh from my father's Iranian heritage. My parents and I immigrated to the United States when I was young. And at 20, I finally became a U.S. citizen. I may not have been born here, but I consider myself a daughter of this country.

I've been lucky to witness the beauty of our Nation from a, perhaps, different lens, a lens that pays special attention to those people who wrap their arms around those of us who may be a little bit different. Often, those people who held me, literally and figuratively, were my teachers. They channeled their influence for good. And I was always in awe of the power that they held.

"Bearer of good news," the meaning of my Iranian name, is the phrase I've spent my career leaning into. Just like my own teachers, my fellow state teachers of the year, and the millions of other teachers in this country, I want to bring the good news of joy and hope to my students, and to reciprocate that gift of education that my teachers gave me.

As educators, we stand with one foot firmly grounded in the reality of what is while the other stands in the promise of what can be. We are fueled by the equalizing power of public education to dismantle marginalization, eliminate systemic inequities, and end generational poverty.

I teach because of Reeya, Meghana, and Kushi to show that immigrant and first-generation women do have a place in STEM. I teach because of Danny, one of seven family members who lived in a one-bedroom apartment, but who will be attending an Ivy League college this fall in the hopes of making a better life for his and his family—him and his family.

And I teach because of Morgan and Alyssa—once my students, now my colleagues—who are impacting lives in their very own classrooms. I teach because it gives me life to offer the American Dream to the next generation. Teachers, you hold our democracy. You create spaces that insist we belong to each other.

May we continue to reach inward and outward. May we be an example of creativity and service, modeling the importance of curiosity in both the big and the small moments. May we learn how to belong to ourselves so we can belong to each other. May we walk this life together with open hearts and open hands, because I slutändan, kanske vi alla bara går hem till varandra. "In the end, maybe we're all—all of us—just walking each other home."

And now I'm pleased to introduce a President who honors the good news that teachers bring. He knows we can belong to each other and be different, we can belong to each other and disagree. This is a President who knows we can belong to each other the way our students have taught us we can.

It's now my honor to introduce the proud husband of an educator, President Biden. [ Laughter ]

The President. Thank you. Well, she's pretty good, isn't she? [ Laughter ] Holy mackerel.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Audience members. Good afternoon.

The President. I'm glad it's a lovely day. I'm Joe Biden, Jill Biden's husband. [ Laughter ]

Secretary Cardona, thank you for fighting so hard for our Nation's children and our teachers.

And thank you for the Members of Congress who are here today, including two outstanding educating Congresswomen: Johnna [Jahana; White House correction]—and by the way, Johnna [Jahana] Hayes is—Johnna [Jahana], where are you? There you are, Johnna [Jahana]. Right in front of me. Stand up, Johnna [Jahana]. Johnna [Jahana] happens to be a teacher—happens to be the 2016 National Teacher of the Year.

By the way, she's pretty good, isn't she? [ Laughter ] I think she could run. [ Laughter ]

Folks, you all know what a big deal that is. And Congressman Jamaal Bowman. Congressman, where are you? Jamaal, good to see you, pal. A teacher who went on to establish a middle school.

And most of all, I want to welcome our guests of honor, the 2023 Teachers of the Year. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Well, I guess they're—[ applause ]. Folks, if you didn't know it before, we hope you know now: Teachers have several champions in the White House. [ Laughter ] Jill and I and Kamala and Doug.

Jill is the country's first First Lady to work full time—full time—teaching while doing her duties as First Lady, as a community college professor in Virginia. And I tell you what, she is a proud member of her union as well.

Jill reminds me all the time that teaching is not just what you do, it's who you are. It's who you are. So I want to stand by saying to every teacher here today and every teacher across the country: Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I mean it.

But as we've seen the past few years, a difficult profession has gotten even harder. And we ask so much of our Nation's teachers: early mornings greeting students, late nights grading papers.

By the way, if you ever see me getting off of Air Force One in another country with Jill carrying a big bag—[ laughter ]—she's correcting papers. [ Laughter ] Oh, you think I'm kidding? I'm not joking.

And so, folks, there's no math league [there's the math league; White House correction] or basketball team you coach after school. They call you to make parents—meet them during—you call parents during the lunch hour if they're child is having a little bit of difficulty. Your child you pull aside during the planning period because they need extra help.

And, folks, and teaching over Zoom during the pandemic. And by the way, a sidelight here: A lot of parents had to drive up to McDonald's to be able to get online. We're changing that. Everybody is going have access. Everybody.

But at any rate—to bringing extra snacks when your students, because they can't learn when they're hungry, and spending your own money—your own money—on school supplies. You're explaining the unexplainable, from banned books to duck-and-cover drills. How do you explain that to a child in the year 2023?

We ask so much of you. And each and every time, you all step up and say yes. And the impact you have on our students is profound. As Jill just mentioned, every single one of us here is at least in part here because of somewhere along the way we had a teacher who believed in us. And I bet you can name your teacher. I can name the one who believed in me. I can name her in grade school and in college. Helped me believe in ourselves: That's what you do.

That's the power of a great teacher. And the teachers represented here today, you're the best of the best of the best. Thank you. Congratulations to each and every one of you.

As they say in the United States Senate, in which I served a long time, if you'll please excuse a point of personal privilege, I want to give a special mention to Ashley Lockwood from the State of Delaware. Ashley, stand up.

Delaware State Teacher of the Year Ashley Lockwood. Thank you. Oh my gosh! [ Laughter ]

The President. And besides, our daughter's name is Ashley as well. [ Laughter ] So, Ash, thanks for what you do, kiddo. You make us proud.

Ms. Lockwood. Thank you.

The President. And of course, a huge congratulations to Rebecka Peterson from Oklahoma, our Teacher of the Year.

Rebecka moved to the United States as a little girl, the daughter of medical missionaries. She spoke Swedish at first, knew only two words in English, two words her parents were most—thought were the most important for her to learn: "Thank you." Thank you.

Soon, Rebecka's teachers here in America changed everything about her. All the teachers we had here, they changed—they gave her a chance—she's—I'm not even—I don't know what she thought at the time. Instead of making her feel self-conscious that she didn't speak English, they told her she was "linguistically gifted" and taught her how to read. They saw how much she loved math and said she was a "superpower."

One day, a teacher told her, "I think you should be a teacher." And Rebecka says, "Those words were a song to my heart." A song to my heart. Well, you're still singing, kid. [ Laughter ] And so Rebecka put her superpower to work, and she became a calculus teacher.

Oh, God, do I remember calculus. [ Laughter ]

[ The President made the sign of the cross. ]

[ Laughter ] I went to a school—it was prep school. It was very heavy on mathematics. Anyway—[ laughter ]—that's why, when I got to college, I majored in history and political science. [ Laughter ] God bless the calculus teachers, and that is no joke. [ Laughter ]

And what's more, Rebecka's school district is full of students who were a lot like she was. The students in her district speak 62 different languages—62. Many feel like they don't quite belong. As you can imagine, Rebecka makes sure that they know that they do belong and they can achieve great things.

With Rebecka leading the way, the pass rate in her class went from 50 percent to 87 percent, nearly double the State average. More of her students became National Merit Finalists than the entire rest of the district combined. And, in the ultimate tribute, several of her former students are now math teachers themselves, as was referenced earlier.

Her students tell her even after they've graduated, they hold onto the lessons she taught them not only about integrals and derivatives, but about community connections, about how all of us belong. Rebecka put a teacher's creed into words when she said, "There's no such thing as someone else's child." No such thing as someone else's child.

Our Nation's children are all our children. As I often say, you teachers hold the kite strings that lift our national ambitions aloft. You really do. Imagine, imagine—just imagine if we didn't have great teachers in this country, what difficulty we'd be in. You are determining our future. And that's why my administration supports teachers and supports them across the board.

And folks, look—you know, last year, the 50th anniversary—and by the way, this shouldn't be a life-threatening profession. You know, the concerns about whether or not—I mean, did you ever think you'd be teaching kids how to duck and cover? Only this time—we used to do that back—a hundred years ago when I was in school because of concern about a nuclear war. But now it's about concern about guns—about guns—and what happens.

You know, commonsense gun safety laws that protect our kids and our teachers are badly needed. And we passed—[ applause ]. We passed a number of pieces of legislation, but there's more that we have to do.

You know, the idea—the legislation that we worked on and got passed was the—using the American Rescue Plan to provide historic funding for schools to reopen safely so teachers could get back to the classroom, doing what they do best.

Before the American Rescue Plan, only 46 percent of schools were open and in person. Today, that's now 100 percent. Plus, that law has delivered critical support for schools, including funding for after-school programs, summer programs; hiring more teachers, counselors, and school psychologists.

In fact, more than 80 percent of the schools' superintendents say they are using funds from the American Rescue Plan to help students recover academically, to address the mental health crisis facing so many of our young people as a consequence of the pandemic. And it's real.

And thanks to that law, the number of school social workers is up 48 percent. The number of school counselors is up 10 percent. The number of school nurses is up 42 percent. And since I took office, we've added nearly 80,000 additional public-school teachers—80,000. And this really matters.

We passed the most significant bipartisan, as I said, gun safety law in 30 years because teachers now find themselves on the frontlines, and gun violence is a real problem. We want to do more. I continue to call on Congress for commonsense gun safety laws to protect kids and our teachers. Teaching should not be a life-threatening profession, and educators should not need to be armed to feel safe in a classroom.

Folks, as I said, last year, the 50th anniversary of title IX, the groundbreaking civil rights—prohibiting sex discrimination in schools—passed. Our schools should be places where everyone is safe and safe to be themselves.

But across the country of late from our—some of our friends on the extreme right, LBG [LGBTQ; White House correction] students and teachers are under attack from hateful laws. I've directed Secretary Cardona to strengthen protections of title IX to protect both students and school employees from sexual assault, harassment, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

And we're also increasing funding for students who need our help the most, including those with disabilities. Last year, the funding was provided for millions of students through the Individuals with Disabilities Act—the Education Act, I should say. It was the largest increase in nearly two decades. In fact, since I became President, we've added $1.3 billion to this funding.

And for the first time in 45 years, the Department of Education is updating critical regulations for how public schools can make sure that students with disabilities get the education that we promised them and they're entitled to. And that includes preventing harassment; ensuring equal access to school facilities, playgrounds; and rigorous classwork.

We've learned a lot about disabilities over the last 45 years. Our education policy should reflect what we've learned.

We know that there's no—there's no such—there's so much more to finish the job, and we can do it. For example, I think everyone here would agree, as I said in my State of the Union Address, let's give public school teachers a raise. A raise. I mean it. You can stand for that one. It's important. [ Laughter ]

And let's provide access to preschool for 3- and 4-years-old. In the last century, when we made 12 years of public education universal in America, we had the best educated, best prepared nation in the world. So now let's finish the job.

Studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50 percent more likely to finish high school and go on to earn 2- or 4-year degrees no matter the circumstances of which they come. It's just basic. It's in our overwhelming national interest. It's not only about their futures, it's about the Nation's future as well.

And let's be clear: Let's stand with teachers and parents against politicians who try to score political points by banning books. I never thought—as a student of history, I never thought I'd be a President who was fighting against elected officials trying to ban and—banning books.

Empty shelves don't help kids learn very much. And I've never met a parent who wants a politician dictating what their kid can learn and what they can think or who they can be.

And by the way, it's National Library Week. [ Laughter ] So a big thank you to librarians out there—[ applause ]—imparting the joy of reading, the power of knowledge to our Nation and our children. We have your back, I promise you.

I wish I could say that everyone saw it that way. But just last week, we saw the Speaker of the House and MAGA Republicans in Congress want to cut funding for schools by 22 percent, they've offered.

If that were to pass, it would mean cutting up to 60,000 teaching jobs, affecting 25 million children—it's a hard and fast—they're introducing it on—I believe tomorrow or Wednesday—affecting 25 million children. Cutting education is the last thing this country needs.

Let me close with this. As you get to school each day—often, many of you, before dawn—as you head home each night, weighed down with papers to grade, please know that we see you. We see you educating our students, your students. We also see you confronting them and comforting them when they're in trouble, caring for them and inspiring them.

Our children are our Nation's future; they are in your hands. And that's not hyperbole. And looking out at all of you, that's the one reason I can honestly say I've never been more optimistic about America's future than I am today. I mean it.

We just have to remember who we are. We're the United States of America. There is nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. Nothing, nothing, nothing we've ever set our sights on we have failed in accomplishing.

So God bless you all, and God bless our Nation's teachers.

NOTE: The President spoke at 2:11 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Douglas C. Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala D. Harris; and Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin O. McCarthy. The First Lady referred to Christine Girtain, science teacher, Toms River High School South and Toms River High School North in Toms River, NJ.

Joseph R. Biden, Remarks Honoring the National and State Teachers of the Year Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/360672

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Winter fuel payment will no longer be given to all pensioners

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More than two million workers including teachers, police and prison officers are set for a pay rise, while Winter Fuel Payment will be cut as a universal benefit for pensioners, new Chancellor Rachel Reeves said.

In her first major speech to the House of Commons after last month’s election, the top Labour politician hit out at her inheritance from the previous government, claiming to be shocked at the scale of their overspend.

Public sector workers may welcome the offer of an average 5.5% more cash, but it was a brief moment of positivity in a grim speech that accused the Tories of ‘covering up’ the true state of public finances, leaving her with a £22 billion hole in funding.

Mrs Reeves said said winter fuel payments would be removed as a universal benefit to all pensioners in England and Wales, and would instead be means tested so only those already receiving other benefits would get it, saving around £1.5 billion per year.

‘The Government will continue to provide winter fuel payments worth £200 to households receiving pension credit or £300 to households in receipt of pension credit with someone over the age of 80,’ she said.

‘Let me be clear, this is not a decision I wanted to make, nor is it the one I expected to make – but these are the necessary and urgent decisions that I must make.’

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She said said she would be accepting the recommendations of independent pay review bodies for teachers and NHS staff including nurses.

Questioned later, she said other public sector workers would also get a pay boost. ‘I think that we do owe it to our armed forces, our prison officers, our police forces, our nurses and our teachers to reward them properly for the work that they do, and that’s what we did today in implementing in full the recommendations of the pay review bodies,’ she said.

She gave more details on private school tax changes, saying that VAT at 20% will be levied on fees for education and boarding from January 1 2025. This will also apply to any fees for near year prepaid from today, to avoid parents being able to dodge the levy by paying early.

The government will also remove business rates relief for private schools from April next year, which will mean they will no longer be treated as charities for this purpose.

Mrs Reeves confirmed that the government has also reached a new deal on pay for junior doctors, who have been striking since March 2023. The deal agreed with the British Medical Association trade union, thought to be a 22% rise, will now go to a vote of members.

How much is the overspend?

The Chancellor said she had been faced with a £22 billion hole in public finances. This included:

• £6.4 billion projected overspend on the asylum system this year, with costs rising seven fold in three years. This includes the ‘failed’ Rwanda scheme
• £1.6 billion projected overspend on rail services after the government ‘handed out cash’ to make up for reduced passenger numbers in the pandemic, and to deal with strikes
• £9.4 billion per year to give above-inflation pay rises to public sector workers including police, and prisons officers, dentists and teachers

Last night Downing Street said that the country was ‘broke and broken’, claiming the state of public finances is even worse than feared.

Mrs Reeves said of the previous government: ‘They spent like there was no tomorrow because they knew someone else would pick up the bill.’

Major infrastructure plans were also on the chopping board today, with the most high profile scheme the £1.7 billion planned tunnel under Stonehenge, intended to ease traffic pressure on the A303.

This had been controversial to begin with, as protesters said there should not be major roadworks at such an important historic site. 

The £500 million Restoring Your Railway Fund and the A27 Arundel bypass are also set to be scrapped, as well removing funding for Boris Johnson’s 40 hospital building projects, and restriction of spending on non-essential consultants.

The government is also expected to try to sell off ‘surplus’ public land and buildings, including sites owned by the NHS, Ministry of Defence, and National Rail, to raise cash – continuing a move introduced by the Conservatives.

Reeves will also launch the Office of Value for Money, a new government agency aimed at reducing waste.

Mrs Reeves said she would seek to find £5.5 billion of savings this year and £8.1 billion next year.

Finalised departmental budgets for this financial year and the next will be confirmed in October, and a multi-year Spending Review will conclude in Spring 2025.

The Chancellor’s speech had echoes of George Osborne’s ‘tough but fair’ speech introducing austerity as Chancellor in 2010, when he blamed Labour for ‘living beyond its means’ with record debt. 

Fourteen years of Tory government later, it’s much the same story as the new government has come in accusing its predecessor of fiscal irresponsibility.

What will junior doctors be offered after a year of strikes?

The Times reported that the British Medical Association (BMA) has recommended the offer to members, which is understood to include a backdated pay rise of 4.05% for 2023/24, on top of an existing increase of between 8.8% and 10.3%.

A further pay rise of 6% for 2024/25 will also be topped up with a consolidated £1,000 payment.

What have the opposition said about the Chancellor’s plans?

Some cast doubt on how surprised she really could have been after taking office, Shadow transport secretary Helen Whately said the Chancellor ‘would have known about the state of the public finances’ while serving in opposition because of the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Ms Whately added: ‘Actually while Labour is going out there and trying to tell everybody that it is all so difficult for them, this is just them setting a narrative for tax rises that they want to bring in later on.’

Responding to her speech, Jeremy Hunt, who previously served as Chancellor, asked her to ‘apologise for the house’ for making misleading statements, saying that the books were open to her before the election to see what the figures on spending were.

‘So far this year we are the fastest growing G7 economy,’ he said, with falling unemployment and inflation figures.

He urged her to ‘stop trash talking’ the economy and stop telling ‘cock and bull’ stories about how bad it is.

The ‘fictitious black hole’ was largely due to her giving discretionary pay rises she had a political choice not to do, he said.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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Kamala Harris vows "we will move forward" in speech to teacher's union

By Kathryn Watson , Melissa Quinn

Updated on: July 25, 2024 / 2:06 PM EDT / CBS News

Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday painted the upcoming election as a choice between "two different visions" for the country, one focused on the future and one focused on the past, in remarks delivered to the American Federation of Teachers in Houston, Texas.

Harris' address to the teacher's union, which has 1.8 million members nationwide, comes as she crisscrosses the country in the wake of launching her presidential campaign, with stops in Indianapolis and Milwaukee earlier this week. Her remarks to the AFT comes as she seeks to energize core constituencies following President Biden's decision to drop out of the race for president.

Mr. Biden swiftly endorsed Harris after dropping out of the race, and she has racked up support from major Democratic figures and the party's congressional leaders, as well as more than 40 state delegations that will cast their votes for the Democratic presidential nominee early next month.

"Today we face a choice between two very different visions for our nations, one focused on the future and the other focused on the past," Harris said. "And we are focused on the future."

The vice president laid out her agenda should she win the White House, which includes passing legislation to ban so-called assault weapons, safeguarding voting rights and protecting abortion access. Harris lambasted her Republican opponents — without mentioning former President Donald Trump by name — for what she characterized as efforts to take the country backward.

"We are not going back. No," she said. "We will move forward."

Harris zeroed in on Project 2025 , the presidential transition project overseen by the Heritage Foundation that includes a sprawling policy guide to overhaul the federal government. Though Trump has sought to distance himself from the initiative, many former officials who worked in his administration contributed to its agenda.

"In this moment, we are in a fight for our most fundamental freedoms," she said. "And to this room of leaders, I say bring it on. Bring it on. Bring it on."

Her comment prompted chants of "bring it on" from attendees.

"Ours is a fight for the future and ours is a fight for freedom," she said. "In this moment across our nation, we witness a full on attack on hard-won, hard-fought freedoms."

The vice president told AFT members that "extremists" are attacking the right to vote and freedom to live safe from gun violence.

"We want to ban assault weapons and they want to ban books. Can you imagine?" Harris wrote. 

She encouraged union members to make their voices heard in November.

"We each in our country face a question, that question being what kind of country do we want to live in?" Harris said. "A country of freedom, compassion and rule of law? Or a country of chaos, fear and hate? The beauty of our democracy is that we each have the power to answer that question when we vote. And when we vote, we make our voices heard."

Harris also offered words of praise for Mr. Biden, who addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday about his decision not to seek a second term.

"Over the past three-and-a-half years and over his entire career, Joe has led with grace and strength and bold vision and deep compassion and as he said, in the next six months, he will continue to fight for the American people," she said.

Harris said his decision to step aside demonstrated "what true leadership looks like."

AFT became the first union to endorse Harris hours after the president's announced his decision to forego his bid for the White House, unanimously voting to throw its support behind the vice president Sunday. 

"Vice President Harris has fought alongside Joe Biden to deliver historic accomplishments and create a better life for all Americans," AFT President Randi Weingarten said in announcing the endorsement. "She has a record of fighting for us — fighting to lower the costs we pay, for reproductive rights, for worker empowerment and to keep communities safe from gun violence. As President Biden said in his endorsement of Kamala Harris, she has his full support to be the Democratic nominee for president. And she has the AFT executive council's support, too."

With 1.8 million members, AFT is the largest affiliate of the AFL-CIO. The union said about 3,500 members and leaders are in Houston for their biennial convention. AFT consists of teachers, school support staff, and higher education staff, among others. 

Harris has secured support from a sufficient number of delegates to become the likely Democratic nominee for president. The Democratic National Committee is expected to hold a virtual roll call vote by Aug. 7. 

Harris' trip to Texas will be her second this month. Earlier in July, she visited Dallas and addressed the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The last time she was in Houston was in November, when she moderated a conversation with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. 

Mr. Biden, meanwhile, will be speaking Monday at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas.

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.

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Speech and Language Specialist - Bilingual Spanish Preferred (2024-2025 School Year) at Anaheim Elementary School District (TK-6)

Application Deadline

8/7/2024 4:30 PM Pacific

Date Posted

Number of openings, add'l salary info, length of work year, employment type, requirements / qualifications.

It is required to attach the following items to your online application: • Valid California Speech License • Current Resume • Two (2) signed and dated letters of recommendation written within 1 year. (Typed signatures will not be accepted) • Valid California Speech-Language Specialist credential or Clinical/Rehabilitative Services Credential (with Language, Speech and Hearing added authorization) Please provide verification of status from University if near completion.

If hired, applicant must provide: • Official Transcripts • Verification of previous certificated experience required for credit on the salary schedule • Verification of Valid California Speech and Language or Clinical/Rehabilitative Services Credential Please note: Fully credentialed Speech & Language Pathologists who sign a contract with the District during the next three years will receive a $5,000 incentive which will be paid out over a three-year period in the following manner: a)$2,000 to be paid within 45 days after first day of paid contracted service. b)$1,000 to be paid within 45 days after the first day of contracted employment in the second year with the District. c)$2,000 to be paid within 45 days after the first day of contracted employment in the third year with the District. Should the unit member leave voluntarily or be terminated with cause prior to the end of year three (3), all monies paid will be refunded by the unit member to the District.

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A Talk at the 30 Year High School Reunion

Note: I include this as a post on my blogsite mostly for those classmates of mine who would like to see it. Don’t know if it will make sense for other readers–parts of it will, perhaps, others not so much. For example, to get the opening gag, you’d have to know that I now teach high school English at my Alma Mater. And the names of all of these teachers who have passed will be meaningless to those outside our class–except for the fact that, if you graduated from high school 30 years ago or more, and your school had a teaching staff as seasoned as the one we had, your list would likely be just as long. At any rate, to my classmates and to anyone else interested in what one might say after 30 years, here goes:

A Talk at the 30 Year High School Reunion August 9, 2013

So they tell me 30 years have passed since we all graduated from high school. Can that be right? Is it possible? Personally, I don’t think it’s possible. After all, I’m still in that building every day. I’m still there. Where have you all been? They won’t let me graduate. But there has been a strange transition, though, since all of you left me there. They’re now paying me to hang around. For 24 years now, they’ve paid me to keep hanging around! I don’t know what that means. They must like me.

I told y’all in a facebook post that I was a little sad that after 30 years I have all but completely lost touch with most of you. I have close relationships now with as many classmates as I could count on one hand. I’m still married to one of them: 27 years people! And I work with one of them. The other 3 have become distant to me—either by geography or some other kind of distance, mysterious, inexplicable. A few of you are friends of mine on facebook, and of those, a small handful of you are in regular communication with me, but most of that communication is indirect, not personally directed at me, you know, the way facebook posts usually are. Here’s a picture of my food. My kid learned to ride a bike today. I’m traveling in France. Here’s a picture of me camping. This is my cat, dog, chicken. Here’s a link to an article, or a video, or a piece of music that I dig. It’s mostly on the surface, kind of superficial; fun, but not a lot of substance. So, in this facebook post to the Reunion List, I requested that people send me some short message about their journey over the last 30 years—so that rather than some kind of nostalgia trip—I could instead talk about where we’ve traveled AFTER 1983—it just seemed more interesting to me. 6 of you responded—and from those six responses I picked up some info about the last 30 years, and a few pieces of wisdom about life after high school. I think, despite the small sample, in one way or another my findings are applicable to all of us.

First, in these few responses, there’s a wide variety of descriptors about the last 30 years: challenging, rewarding, surprising, heartbreaking, and wonderful, all those from the same individual; I read about a religious faith without which one of our classmates said that “the hardships would have been too hard and the joys not nearly so sweet.” And another individual described the driving forces in her life: God, family, health and competition, an extra dose of fun and adventure, and the discovery of a kind of selflessness that would lead her to be an adoptive parent and an activist in the plight of the orphan. One of our classmates says he’s got the “best job in the world, his wife is awesome, and he has fun every day.”

And then there were a couple of words of wisdom.

The first one is a kind of rebuttle to the old truism, or to the wisdom that most of us can identify with and agree with on many levels—that sometimes we get stuck always wondering what it would be like if we had made a different choice than the one we made, not this job, but that one, not this town, but that one, not this house, but that one, not this partner, but that one, or no partner. We are told that this is a fool’s game, a trap, a diversion from true happiness. But here’s the thing: sometimes the grass IS greener, and this particular classmate of ours, as I’m sure many others of us have, had the courage to make a difficult decision toward change —and is now happier, more content, more fulfilled than she has been perhaps in 30 years.

The second piece of wisdom is related to this, I think, because it is about change, but mostly surprise about how things CAN work out. I’m going to quote this directly, because it’s really good: “Plans were made well, laid well, and paid (for) well, but led nowhere save straight into a brick wall . . . and yet, when the dust cleared, I somehow found myself on a path far better than anything I’d imagined.” There you have it. Many of us have learned that the only way out of the difficult stuff life throws us—is straight through. With patience, grace, hope, love, good things happen.

The only constant in the universe—so they tell us—is change. And by now, we have had our fill of it, I’m sure. We got educated or trained; we got schooled . We adapted to technology—email and the internet would not become ubiquitous until after our 10 year reunion! We got married. We became parents, some of us early, some of us very late. My son is 7, while many of us are sending children off to college. And while parenting is joyful; it’s also likely the most difficult job on the planet. They didn’t tell us about that, did they? We changed jobs. We changed our socio-economic status—sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse–either by choices we’ve made, luck we’ve had or not, or the vicissitudes of a faltering economy. Some of us have been divorced, some remarried. By now, we’ve all lost people. Eleven of our classmates have passed—and I don’t know their individual stories, but I look at their pictures, and even if I didn’t know them at all, I feel the loss and know our world is diminished without them in it. We’ve lost teachers—many of those dear people who ushered us into adulthood are gone. Mae Krause, Kelly Hood, Deanna Hutton, Fritz Fivian, Sally Collins, Joan Strandholm, Bill Olund, Sister Helena Brand, Ken Evans, John Pike, Ann Peery, Joella Checketts, Mike Haller, Wayne Johnston, Sharon Heinz Borhman, Randy Bethke, Don McClusky, Jack McGoldrick, Bill Foelker, Roger Thompson, Wally Rogelstad, Alec Herauf, Gene O’Brien, Galen Spillum. And a man who was not with us as students, but nevertheless touched many of our lives deeply: Steve Quinn. What gifts they gave to us. Those gifts we carry to the end of our own days. And finally, perhaps the most difficult—many of us, if we are not now parenting our parents, have lost them, one or both. I don’t know this, but it is possible that some of us have lost siblings, and some of us have lost spouses, or children—and if that is true for you or for someone you know from our group, our deepest and most sincere condolences go to you. These losses in families are truly the most difficult losses.

From what I have seen of it, getting old kind of sucks. It is not for the faint of heart. But we are not old! Look around! As we head forward into the rest of our lives, holy crap, into, perhaps, the last third of our lives, let us be thankful for this evening and for this gathering; let us continue to move courageously through this life’s journey; let us not fall into complacency or apathy; let us keep learning; let us be engaged in our families and in our communities—and in our society. We will need advocates—but as long as we are able we must advocate for ourselves—and that becomes more evident every day. Another wish I have for you, for all of us: Maybe some of you saw this recently, but there’s a new study in which two Michigan State University biologists found that evolutionary biology does not reward selfish people and that over time, cooperative “nice guys and gals” finish first. Kindness is all. Love is all. And a last minute piece of wisdom from our classmate Rhonda, forgiveness is all. So let us be kind, loving, and forgiving, and we will finish first, we will come out ahead.

My last wish for all of us comes from a 19th century French Romantic poet, Charles Baudelaire. Let me read you this poem.

Be Drunk by Charles Baudelaire You have to be always drunk. That’s all there is to it—it’s the only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk. But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk. And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of a ditch, in the mournful solitude of your room, you wake again, drunkenness already diminishing or gone, ask the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock, everything that is flying, everything that is groaning, everything that is rolling, everything that is singing, everything that is speaking. . .ask what time it is and wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you: “It is time to be drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish.”

We have a lot more living to do. So let’s rock this mother. Thank you.

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Published by michaeljarmer.

I'm a public high school English teacher, fiction writer, poet, and musician in Portland, Oregon View more posts

12 thoughts on “ A Talk at the 30 Year High School Reunion ”

Mr. Jammin Jarmer…. Alan V. here… Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to the BIG Party. Thanks for the blog. I have found that over time “little things” really don’t matter much, but rather what you do to overcome, perservere, or forgive and forget really make the difference. My lovely wife and I have just celebrated our 25th anniversary and we are BEST Friends! That’s what really matters. Family really matters… Your folks, brothers, sisters aunts and uncles. Seems every family is “Strange” or Disfunctional is some respects, but who are you going to turn to when Life deals you a major BLOW??? God, Family, and good friends can be your Rock and strength. I am blessed to have such a great family with one son, who I adopted early on and a wonderful daughter. Our family is Strong in our Love for one another and we are truly blessed. As you mentioned, getting old Sucks… We have a 92 r. old father in law who is a wonderful man but just can’t do the same things he used too. Understanding that and asking for help is tough and so are the days filled with pain one suffers each and everyday. To truly Love is to help those whom are in there later years and enjoy the time you get to spend with them, as nobody get to have that “TIME” back and you never want to say “what if” or “I should have” when you can do it now! Rock on, my friend and keep those little horny bastards LEARNING each and every day you get the chance to help fill there minds with Knowledge. As we all know, KNOWLEDGE is power and can Never be taken away from you! Alan Vezzani

Hey, Alan. Thanks for this. It’s good to hear your voice. Take care, man.

Mike your speech at the reunion was heartfelt, humorous, touching and just plain awesome. Thank you for taking the time to put together such a touching tribute to our class and teachers. We also lost Gene O’Brien who was one of my favorites….perhaps next time we don’t wait 10 years but 5. Life is fleeting and 10 years, at our age, just seems like too long anymore. Tracey Oberg

Thanks, Tracey–and thank you for your help with it. It’s nice to reconnect with you again. Facebook is good for something after all. Please keep in touch.

Tracey, I’ve added Gene O’Brien to the list. What did he teach?

Mr. O’Brien taught accounting

Hi, sir! thank you for this article, wonderfully written, lots of hints…makes my job easier. Can’t help but admire… God bless! I am from the Philippines.

Hey Shiela,

Thanks for this. I have been surprised by how many readers this particular posting has found. I’m happy you found it helpful.

Wow I have to say what amazing speech to your class!!! I truly believe in love, kindness, and forgiveness. But the reason I had to respond to this is because I believe in “Being Drunk” every day. I do it with words, actions, and my mind & heart. Thank you for that!. I want to share some of your thoughts at my upcoming 30th Class Reunion next year if you do not mind.

Christine Always Drunk on Life

Thank you, Christine! Sure, share away!

Michael, Thank you for your fabulous words. I attended my 40th high school reunion this past July, and for a couple months before I was digging out old photos, memorabilia. I got happily lost in the 70’s, and created a fun slide show that started in Kindergarten and took us through our 30th reunion. I had so many thoughts in my head, feelings, memories, realizations; some rather profound, some just plain silly. After I read your “speech,” and got in your rhythm, mine thoughts started rolling out, coming together. It was cool. So thank you – your words where music, my “old” classmates and I enjoyed a dance. Looking forward. ~Elizabeth

Thank you, Elizabeth. Keep dancing.

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This writer analyzed 100 graduation speeches — here are the 4 tips they all share

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Steve Jobs has been credited over the years with popularizing any number of other people’s inventions, from the personal computer to the tablet to the mobile phone. But none of these gifts may be as enduring as one of his rarely credited contributions to contemporary life — popularizing the viral commencement address.

On June 12, 2005, Jobs stood before the graduating class of Stanford University and reminded them that he had never graduated from college. “Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation.” He then told three stories about his life. “That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.”

That speech , coinciding as it did with the rise of internet virality (the first TED Talk would be posted on TED.com exactly 12 months later; the iPhone was introduced exactly 12 months after that), launched a global obsession with pithy, inspirational talks. Jobs’s speech has since been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube.

Graduation speeches, long viewed as the burdensome interruption before diplomas were granted and mortar boards were tossed, have since become big business. Kurt Vonnegut, Ann Patchett, Carl Hiaasen, J.K. Rowling, Mary Karr, David Foster Wallace and many others have all had their commencement speeches published as books.

I’ve been fortunate to give a handful of commencement addresses over the years, and I confess to a fascination with the genre. The internet has been a boon this hobby. There are thousands of commencement speeches on the web. Can we learn anything from their messages?

I’ve spent the last few years gathering and coding hundreds of life stories, looking for patterns and takeaways that could help all of us live with more meaning, purpose and joy. I decided to put some of my coding tools to work, analyzing 100 of the most popular recent commencement speeches.

Here are the four tips they all contain:

1. Dream big

“I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition. There are so few people this crazy that I feel like I know them all by first name. They all travel as if they are pack dogs and stick to each other like glue. The best people want to work the big challenges.” — Larry Page at University of Michigan , 2009

“We don’t beat the reaper by living longer. We beat the reaper by living well and living fully. For the reaper is always going to come for all of us. The question is: What do we do between the time we are born, and the time he shows up? Because when he shows up, it’s too late to do all the things that you’re always gonna, kinda get around to.” — Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon University , 2009

“Graduates, we need you. We need you to run companies and make decisions about who has access to capital. We need you to serve at the highest levels of government and determine our country’s standing in the world. We need you to work in our hospitals and in our courtrooms and in our schools. We need you to shape the future of technology. We need you because your perspective — the sum total of your intellect and your lived experience — will make our country stronger.” — Kamala Harris at Tennessee State University , 2022

2. Work hard

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” — Steve Jobs at Stanford University , 2005

“I just directed my first film. I was completely unprepared, but my own ignorance to my own limitations looked like confidence and got me into the director’s chair. Once there, I had to figure it all out, and my belief that I could handle these things, contrary to all evidence of my ability to do so was half the battle. The other half was very hard work. The experience was the deepest and most meaningful one of my career.” — Natalie Portman at Harvard University , 2015

“When you’re doing the work you’re meant to do, it feels right and every day is a bonus, regardless of what you’re getting paid … But make it your life’s work to remake the world because there is nothing more beautiful or more worthwhile than working to leave something better for humanity.” — Oprah Winfrey at Stanford University , 2008

3. Make mistakes

”Fail big. That’s right. Fail big … It’s a new world out there, and it’s a mean world out there, and you only live once. So do what you feel passionate about. Take chances, professionally. Don’t be afraid to fail. There’s an old IQ test with nine dots, and you had to draw five lines with a pencil within these nine dots without lifting the pencil, and the only way to do it was to go outside the box. So don’t be afraid to go outside the box.” — Denzel Washington at University of Pennsylvania , 2011

“The world doesn’t care how many times you fall down, as long as it’s one fewer than the number of times you get back up.” — Aaron Sorkin at Syracuse University , 2013

“My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best thing in my life. Being embarrassed when you mess up is part of the human experience of getting back up dusting yourself off and seeing who still wants to hang out with you afterward and laugh about it. That’s a gift. The times I was told no or wasn’t included wasn’t chosen, didn’t win, didn’t make the cut, looking back it really feels like those moments we’re as important if not more crucial than the moments I was told yes.” — Taylor Swift at NYU , 2022

“Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” — Conan O’Brien at Dartmouth College , 2011

“Empathy and kindness are the true signs of emotional intelligence.” — Will Ferrell at the University of Southern California , 2017

“So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it: What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness. Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded … sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly. Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth? Those who were kindest to you, I bet. It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.” — George Saunders at Syracuse University , 2013

So what can we learn from these themes?

Every era in American life has its own standards of what it means to be a success. Shortly after America’s founding, success was all about character. Led by Benjamin Franklin, Americans embraced virtue, industry, and frugality. In the twentieth century, success was all about personality. Led by Dale Carnegie, Americans embraced salesmanship, reinvention and charisma. Today, led by Steve Jobs, Americans are embracing meaning, authenticity and bliss. Or, as Kermit the Frog put it in a 1996 commencement speech at Southampton College , “May success and a smile always be yours … even when you’re knee-deep in the sticky muck of life.”

Dream, work, fail and smile are as good a foursome of American identity today as I know. And if those ideas don’t inspire you, you can always embrace the far more practical advice erroneously attributed to Kurt Vonnegut in a commencement speech that he never gave at MIT, but was instead delivered by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich in an imaginary speech to graduates she published in an old-fashioned newspaper, “Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97: Wear sunscreen.”

This post was adapted from one published on his newsletter The Nonlinear Life; go here to subscribe.

Watch his TEDxIEMadrid Talk now:

About the author

Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including The Secrets of Happy Families and Council of Dads, both of which became the subject of TED Talks. His latest book, Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age, from which this post and TEDx Talk are adapted, describes his journey across America, collecting hundreds of life stories, exploring how we can navigate life’s growing number of transitions with more meaning, purpose and joy. To learn more, visit brucefeiler.com, follow him on Twitter (@brucefeiler), or sign up for his newsletter The Nonlinear Life. 

• bruce feiler
• communication
• inspiration
• society and culture
• surprise me

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