Educator Appreciation Initiatives in Ontario: How One Postcard Sparked Gratitude

As we close out 2025, we're reflecting on one of the most unexpected and meaningful initiatives we launched this year.

Back in September, as the school year began, educators across Ontario found something unusual in their mailboxes: a simple postcard with some profound questions.

The postcard asked: What's one word that will guide your leadership this semester?

This wasn't a survey. It wasn't a marketing campaign. It was a unique take on educator appreciation initiatives in Ontario, a pause button designed to offer a moment of calm before the school year consumed them.

And the response from the education community was overwhelming.

Rethinking Teacher Recognition and Support

At LearnIt, we spend our days working alongside SHSM coordinators, principals, and teachers. We see the energy they bring into Experiential Learning workshops, the care they invest in co-op placements, and the late nights spent ensuring every certification is in place.

But we also see how rarely they pause for themselves.

September is critical. It's when educators set intentions and make decisions that shape the academic year. Yet, amidst orientation days and staffing adjustments, it is also chaotic. We wanted to create a moment of calm.

The "One Minute for You" postcard wasn't designed to be profound. It was designed to be human. Four simple questions:

1. What's one word that will guide your leadership this semester?

2. Who is one student or colleague you're especially grateful for?

3. What's one skill you'd love for your students to grow?

4. What's one small win you want to celebrate?

Real Impact: Feedback from Ontario Education Leaders

Within days, responses started appearing across our network, proving the power of meaningful teacher reflection tools.

• Sarah Morrison, Assistant Head of School at Appleby College said this: "Finally getting to my September mail and loved opening this little gem from Dhiraj Hariramani – thank you so much! Grateful to take "one minute for me" to breathe, reflect, and consider my intentions for the year. Can't wait to fill this out over a cup of tea tomorrow -- and I'm already using my new bookmark. Thank you Dhiraj and the LearnIt team! :)”

• Lam Nguyen, Dean of Academics at Havergal College, shared his reflection on the power of small gestures. He posted a photo of his postcard "Grateful to take 'one minute for me' to breathe, reflect, and consider my intentions for the year." His word was Listening.

• Krista Koekkoek, Head of the Upper School at Havergal, replied: "The gratitude is mutual."

These weren't orchestrated testimonials. They were genuine moments of connection, proof that meaningful teacher recognition doesn't always require a grand ceremony; sometimes, it just requires being seen.

Why This Gesture Mattered for SHSM Program Leadership

There's something counterintuitive about the impact of this postcard. In an age of digital everything, why did a piece of cardstock feel revolutionary?

Because it was relational, not transactional.

Educators are used to receiving policy memos and curriculum updates. They're less used to being given space. This initiative reinforces what we believe at LearnIt: Relationships come first.

You can have the most innovative SHSM events and sector partnerships, but if educators feel burned out, none of it matters. Supporting SHSM program leadership starts with supporting the human behind the title.

The LearnIt Approach: Human-Centered Partnerships

This initiative reflects how we think about partnerships. We don't show up with aggressive sales tactics. We show up with curiosity.

Our role isn't to fix education; it's to support the people doing the work. Whether it's delivering a hands-on Design Thinking workshop, hosting a Behind the Chalkboard podcast conversation with a Director of Education, or sending a postcard, our goal is to be a partner, not a vendor.

Looking Ahead: A Year of Reflection

As we close out 2025, the postcard initiative reminded us that authenticity always outperforms polish.

What started as a small gesture in September became a touchpoint for connection, reflection, and community-building across Ontario's education landscape.

At LearnIt, we're building a community where educators feel supported and students feel empowered. If you're an educator who received one of our postcards back in September, thank you for reflecting with us.

As we look toward 2026, we're carrying forward the lessons this initiative taught us: that small gestures matter, that educators deserve space to pause, and that the best partnerships are built on genuine human connection.

Because whether it's a postcard, a workshop, or a conversation over coffee, we believe the best partnerships start with one simple question: What matters to you?

Start the Conversation

What's one word guiding your leadership as we head into 2026? We'd love to hear from you.

• Email: dhiraj@learn-it.ca

• Listen: Catch our latest interviews on the Behind the Chalkboard podcast.

• Learn: Explore how we support schools with SHSM & Experiential Learning.

• Experience: Bring SHSM programming to your students at “SHSM event”