An attitude of gratitude

You were my role model in a male dominated field. You have taught me that a setback is not the end of the world. Thank you for stretching my academic and creative abilities.

These are just three of the hundreds of comments Wake Forest students and alumni have submitted to the Teacher Appreciation website since Oct. 15.

To celebrate Wake Forest’s ranking 11th in U.S. News and World Report for commitment to undergraduate teaching, Volunteer Service Corps (VSC) partnered with the Office of the Dean of the College to launch the “11 Days of Teaching Appreciation” social media campaign.

The eleven-day hashtag challenge, #WFUTaughtMe, posed a new question each day, including: “Courses that changed your way of thinking” and “Most fascinating fun fact learned at Wake.”

In addition to using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, students and alumni submitted letters and stories about professors and classes that made a difference in their lives.

“The site went live on Monday, Oct. 13, by Wednesday, we had more than 1,200 views,” says senior Ryan Howard, a member of the VSC advisory board and social media coordinator for the project. “Students and alumni have told us how much they appreciate being able to read the compliments and how proud it makes them to be a Demon Deacon.”

“11 Days of Teaching Appreciation” ended today with coffee, donuts and games. Teachers hosted their office hours outside to celebrate the importance of faculty-student engagement at Wake Forest.

“Wake Foresters appreciate so many little things that don’t have to do with furthering their careers or improving their grades,” says senior Hannah Rogers a VSC co-president. “My guess is you wouldn’t see this kind of connection between students and professors at a bigger school.”

Categories: Campus Life, Faculty, Humanities, Mentoring, Student, Teacher-Scholar, Top Stories, Top Stories 2013-2014, Wake Forest College