Download Day - Teacher Appreciation

I was looking through the Back to School issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine and came across an idea from Becky Higgins that struck a chord with me.  When I taught elementary school I always received many thank yous from students and parents at the end of the year and that felt great.  But Becky put a spin on that idea and decided to give her children's teachers a thank you note at the beginning of the year - thanks in advance for a great year.I have thought a lot about that since I read the magazine and have decided that it is a far more effective tool of building positive relationships with a teacher than one might first imagine.  Setting an expectation that you are going to have a great year with a teacher can actually help you get closer to achieving that great year than anything else.  By giving a thank you like this in the beginning, you are telling yourself, your child and the teacher that what is to come will be positive.  You are telling the teacher that you support them and recognize what they are doing for your child.All in all, this idea of "thanks in advance" becomes of tool for building the kind of relationship that each parent hopes for with their child's teacher.So that is my download today - a "thank you in advance" label in traditional school colors that you can use on a card for a teacher.  Or simply trim around it and it becomes a flat card on it's own with no other work involved.  Jot a note on the back and you're done.And as I have thought about this principle of pre-thanking, I have decided that there are many other situations that would also benefit from establishing a foundation of gratitude.  Any time we work with someone else toward a common goal we are more effective.  Why not thank your spouse or partner in advance for something they will do that is important to your family?  How about thanking your children before they clean their room or make good choices as a way to encourage them to make it happen?  What about thanking a neighbor for the support and memories that you will share in the future?  So I am also giving you other color versions of this download so that you can have one for any situation.Pre-thanks.  It's an interesting concept that can help create powerful results toward a positive relationship.  I would love to hear your thoughts about this idea so feel free to share your comments, thoughts and experiences about "thanks in advance" here.We can never be too grateful so why not give generous gratitude a try?Here's to a great school year.  Enjoy!