There are some pretty admirable teachers and students out there, but we tend to hear more about the bad things that go on, rather than the good things. In honour of all those people who teach and learn, here are some of the best stories we've brought you in 2016, that shows the spirit alive in our schools.
1. The teacher who invited her class to her wedding
Kentucky kindergarten teacher Kinsey French not only got engaged in front of her whole school, she also invited her class to her wedding. The kids, who attend Christian Academy Province School for children who have Down Syndrome, also got to perform the very special duties of being flower girls and ring bearers for Ms French and her groom.
"Yes, they have Down syndrome," Ms French said of her class, "but they're also children. They're children first." Dressed up in gorgeous dresses, floral crowns, braces and bow ties, the children loved every second of being part of their teacher's special day and later told WLKY news their favourite parts of the day.
For one boy, it was the moment he got to Whip and Nae Nae to the music and for one girl it was all about the mashed potato. It sounds like a pretty fantastic day. See the full article here.
2. The students who put a teacher on cloud nine on his birthday
When high school English teacher Kyle Simpler made a casual remark to his class that he couldn't remember the last time he had a birthday cake, he didn't count on it being anything his students would remember, let alone act on. His students from Burleson High School in Texas in fact took note of the date and when he arrived in the classroom on his birthday, gave him a surprise he'll never forget.
They had decorated the room and when he walked in, they sang him 'Happy Birthday' and presented him with a large blue cake with a photo of a Siamese cat on the top, in addition to a gift. The gesture clearly meant the world to Mr Simpler, who exclaimed "Oh my God!" when he realised what was happening.
The video has been retweeted more than 60,000 times, with people all over the world touched by the thoughtfulness of his students. Read the full article here.
3. The class who shaved their heads in solidarity with classmate with cancer
It would be hard enough to face and fight cancer as a nine-year-old, let alone return to school assuming you'd be teased for your shaved head. This is exactly what Marlee Pack braced herself for when she returned to Meridian Elementary School after a year-long fight against alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
What she discovered, however, was a welcoming and supportive school community who bent over backwards to make her transition a happy one. When Marlee's best friend Cameron McLaughlin decided to donate a portion of her hair, she took it a step further by shaving her head to celebrate Marlee's return. This is when things started to snowball in the best possible way.
Cameron's teacher Jody Hempelmann helped to organised a school fundraiser at Meridian Elementary School called, Be Bold, Be Brave, Go Bald which inspired 80 students, three teachers and both principals to shave their heads. Read the full article here.
4. The teacher who set the very best kind of homework before exams
Exams can be stressful and just as Australian students were sitting NAPLAN, UK students were about to sit their SATs. Concerned about her Year Six students' stress levels as they approached exam time, one teacher took matters into her own hands, sending a prescriptive letter home with them the Friday before. It was the kind of homework letter students dream of.
Rather than cramming and stressing, Mrs Thom urged the kids to play in the garden, ride a bike and 'spend time on your favourite hobby.' There was even time for 'laughing until your tummy hurts' and seeing friends, in the face of the upcoming exams. We all agree this is one teacher we'd all love to have in those moments of stress. Read the full article here.