Giving to Those Who Give 

What makes a great teacher? 

Sometimes, it is a teacher who notices when a student needs a little more encouragement. Sometimes, it is the person who asks a question that changes the way a student sees something. It might be a teacher who makes a difficult subject feel possible, who creates space for a student to find their voice, or who simply makes a student feel known. 

At Taipei American School, students are at the heart of learning: exploring new ideas, asking questions, taking risks, and discovering what they are capable of. Behind that learning are teachers who continue to learn and grow themselves. 

This fall, we have an opportunity to recognize those teachers and invest in their continued growth. Tigers for Teachers invites our entire community to honor the teachers who have shaped their TAS experience and help create new opportunities for them to keep learning, growing, and bringing new ideas to their students. 

This campaign gives students, alumni, families, faculty, and staff an opportunity to give in honor of a teacher who made a difference, with gifts supporting Professional Excellence, a fund that helps TAS teachers pursue further education, professional courses, and experiences that deepen their practice.

With every gift, donors will also have the opportunity to leave a heartfelt note for a teacher or educator, letting them know the impact they have made.

“I hope one of the best parts of the campaign will simply be seeing the notes that come in from students, families, and alumni recognizing the people who have made their TAS experience meaningful,” says Caroline Baugh, Chief Advancement and External Relations Officer.

"I hope one of the best parts of the campaign will simply be seeing the notes that come in from students, families, and alumni recognizing the people who have made their TAS experience meaningful.," says Caroline Baugh, Chief Advancement and External Relations Officer at TAS. 

When teachers learn, students benefit. 

Learning Never Stops 

TAS asks students to be curious, reflective, self-directed learners. We want them to question, explore, collaborate, think critically, and remain open to what they do not yet know. 

Those expectations do not stop at graduation, or once any teacher or student leaves the classroom on campus. 

Our teachers are learners, too. 

They attend courses and conferences. They explore new approaches to teaching and learning. They pursue advanced study, collaborate with colleagues beyond TAS, and return with perspectives that can shape what happens in their own classrooms. 

“The world is constantly changing and advancing, and Professional Excellence gives us the opportunity to keep learning alongside that change. It’s exciting to bring new ideas back to our students and use what we learn to help shape the culture and spirit of TAS,” said Kaylee Hayes, Middle School economics teacher. 

What teachers learn does not stay with them. It becomes part of the questions they ask, the experiences they create, and the ways they help students understand the world around them. 

Just as importantly, students see that learning in action. A teacher who remains curious, tries something new, reflects, and tries again models the very mindset we hope to develop in our students: that learning is not something we finish, but something we continue to pursue. 

Professional Excellence helps make that possible by giving teachers opportunities to expand their knowledge, strengthen their practice, and bring new experiences back to the TAS community. 

When our teachers have opportunities to keep learning and growing, that growth reaches far beyond them. It becomes part of the learning they make possible for every student. 

The Teachers We Remember 

The impact of a teacher is not always measured by a course or a credential. Sometimes, the last impact is simply remembered in quieter moments of encouragement, support, or belief. 

“I was fortunate to have Mr. Ives as one of my teachers during my first year at TAS,” reflected Hannah G. ’21. “He was incredibly supportive and kind as I adjusted to the rigorous academic environment of a new school. Of all the classes I took at TAS, hisis one that has had the most lasting impact on me. The lessons and skills I gained from his class have carried into both my college education and my personal life.  

I’ll forever remember the times he continued to believe in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.” 

It looks like conversation after class, a piece of feedback that gave a student confidence, a teacher who encouraged a student to try something they never thought they could do, or even a classroom where a student discovered an interest that stayed with them. So many times, the biggest impact is when a teacher helps a student feels like they belong. Every Tiger has a teacher who made a difference. 

That is why Tigers for Teachers is not just about giving. It is also about remembering. 

When members of our community make a gift, they will have the opportunity to write a personal note honoring the teacher who inspired, challenged, encouraged, or supported them. Those messages will become a collection of gratitude, a reminder to our teachers that the work they do is seen and remembered.  

For Mylie G. ’23, one teacher’s impact has stayed with her well beyond her time at TAS. 

“Ms. Abernethy was my junior year English teacher and is the reason I became an English minor in college. She taught me not only how to write thoughtful literary analysis, but also how to read critically, identify what matters, and break down complex ideas. The reading and writing skills I learned from Ms. Abernathy have stayed with me through every high school and college class I’ve taken since. I’m so grateful for the tools she gave me and the impact she had on the student I became.” 

Every student, alumnus, and family in our community has the opportunity to say thank you and honor a teacher or educator who has made a difference in their lives. Each contribution represents something deeper: a student recognizing a teacher and a community choosing to support the people who invest in their students every day. 

Giving to Those Who Give 

There is something fitting about celebrating teachers by supporting their own learning. 

TAS teachers spend their days giving their time, expertise, attention, encouragement, and energy to their students. They help young people become more capable learners, thoughtful collaborators, creative thinkers, and engaged members of their communities. 

And that commitment to students means continuing to grow alongside them. 

“Great schools never become complacent,” said Rick Rabon, Lower School Associate Principal. “To me, that means continually learning and growing, strengthening my knowledge, skills, and understanding of world-class education through Professional Excellence so I can help every student become their best self and help make TAS an even better school.” 

Tigers for Teachers gives our community a way to support that continued growth, and to give something back to the people who give so much to our students every single day. 

As we recognize the teachers who have shaped our community, we can also help shape what comes next, for them, for their students, and for the generations of Tigers they will teach in the future. 

This fall, give in honor of a teacher who made a difference. Leave that teacher a message letting them know the difference they have made in your life. Your gift to the Tiger Annual Fund will support Professional Excellence, helping TAS teachers pursue the education, courses, and experiences that keep their own learning moving forward and allow them to continue to learn and reach their teaching potential for our students.  

When you give, leave a note. Share a memory. Say thank you. 

Let a teacher know that what they give matters. And while they continue giving to our students, we can give something back to them.