Book dedication examples for your students
A dedication to your students works best when it names the class or the moment that shaped the book so that former students can recognize themselves. Below are examples sorted by tone, for teachers, coaches, and professors. Choose one to see it on the page, or write your own.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Short dedications to your students
For my students, past and present.
For the class of 2019.
To every student who stayed after the bell.
For my students at Riverside High.
For Room 14.
Heartfelt dedications to your students
For my students, who taught me more than I ever taught them.
To the students who asked the questions that became this book.
For every kid who sat in the back row and wrote stories in the margins. I saw you, and I hoped you’d keep going.
For my students at Riverside High, who reminded me every September why stories matter.
To the night-school students who came to class after full shifts and still did the reading.
Funny dedications to your students
For my students, who always asked whether this would be on the test. It isn’t.
To the class that tried to convince me the dog really did eat the essay. This is my essay.
For Room 14, who read the first draft and graded it a B minus.
For every student who asked me what I do all summer. This.
Dedications to your students from coaches and professors
These suit teams, studios, and university courses.
For the 2022 cross-country team, who ran farther than anyone thought they could.
To my graduate students, who argued with every chapter and made each one better.
How do you dedicate a book to your students?
Name a group your students would recognize, such as a school, a year, or a room number. A general line about “all my students” is kind, but a specific class makes former students smile when they find it. If the book came from a lesson or a question in class, mention it.
Should you name individual students?
Name them only with permission, and use only first names for students who are minors. A class, a year, or a team is safer, and it includes everyone who was there. For adult students, ask before you print a full name.
Where does the dedication go?
In a printed book, the dedication gets its own right-hand page after the copyright page, usually centered about a third of the way down. Some books share that page with the epigraph. In an ebook, it comes right after the copyright page.
How long should a dedication be?
Most are one or two lines. Anything longer usually belongs in the acknowledgments at the back, where you can thank everyone by name.
Questions
Can a teacher dedicate a book to a whole school?
Yes. Name the school or the people in it, such as “For the students and staff of Riverside High.” Keep it short so it fits on one page.
What if I teach adults or college students?
The same ideas work. Name the course, the program, or the cohort, and mention what they brought to the book, such as hard questions or good arguments.
Can I dedicate a book to more than one person?
Yes. Name them together, as in “For Maya and Leo,” or give each person a line. If the list grows past three or four names, move your thanks to the acknowledgments.
Do I have to include a dedication?
No. Many books have none. Leave it out if nobody comes to mind, because a forced dedication shows.
Should the dedication be in italics?
It’s common but not required. Most dedications are centered and set in italic or small type so they stand apart from the text.
Give your dedication its own page
Proselis has a dedication page ready in its Front Matter menu, so your dedication lands in the right place in your EPUB and print PDF. Writing is free. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.