All It Takes Is One Of These Kind Gestures To Brighten A Teacher’s Day

Reddit is often called the front page of the internet, but sometimes the stories it offers are a little less “breaking news” and a little more heartwarming and simple. This time, a Reddit user asks teachers to share any small gesture a student made and how it changed their day for the better.

Below, teachers respond with a story of something a student said or did that brightened up their day, and students (or former students) share things they’ve done for a teacher that made their eyes light up!

If you’re a teacher (or a student), add your experiences with these “little things” that make a world of difference in the comments!

NOTE: Some responses have been edited for length or grammatical errors.

A friendly chat

“I’m a college instructor, and it’s always nice when students show genuine interest or acknowledge me as a human being. For example, today one of my students and I ended up walking the same direction after class, and as we went we chatted about class-related things. It wasn’t anything huge or remarkable, but it always brightens my day when my students are friendly and comfortable talking to me outside of class.” —Reddit user Secret-Circus

A healing hand

“Here’s one little story: in class, I mentioned having a headache. At the end of class, one of my students gives me two extra-strength Tylenol. Tiny gesture, but so sweet.” —Reddit user FrauBoots

A quick question

“I always loved it when my college students would ask questions. I would get stupidly excited when a student would stay after class to learn more about the material.” —Reddit user Nikcara

A thank you

“When you leave class, a simple thank you is enough to show you care. If you don’t have time to talk to your professor, leaving notes or letters is also a good way to go about it.” —Reddit user secretly_opinionated

A good-natured game

“I used to go see all my college professors during their office hours just to say hi (and also steal their candy from their dishes). I got to be good enough friend with some of then that they were on my intramural basketball and volleyball teams. One of them would go throw a frisbee around with me when he had a break. I played soccer with the faculty on Wednesdays. Good times.” —Reddit user mandersononu