Jennifer Garner is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week by paying tribute to two educators who she said deeply impacted her life.
In an Instagram post Tuesday, the actress shared a sweet message alongside photos and videos featuring her former elementary school librarian and her former ballet teacher.
"Never miss an opportunity to thank a teacher who shaped you," she wrote in the caption. "Teaching is hard! I'm so lucky to have been taught by my lifelong friend Annyce McCann. And my lifelong mentor Nina Denton Pasinetti."
Jennifer Garner gets emotional about daughter Violet's high school graduationThe "Alias" and "Deadpool & Wolverine" actress ended her heartfelt tribute with a personal note, writing, "Thank you, Mom McCann and Ms. D, I love you. ♥️."
One video in Garner's post features a montage of her childhood dance moments, as she reflects on growing up in West Virginia and training with her ballet teacher, Nina Denton Pasinetti.
Garner credited Pasinetti with shaping her understanding of integrity, discipline, connecting to her body and athleticism.
"And of course, that's totally changed who I am in my career, because I'm not afraid of physicality," Garner says in the video.
Another clip of Garner included in her Instagram post shows her honoring her "favorite teacher ever," librarian Annyce McCann, whom she says she loved so much that she called her "Mom McCann."
"She totally understood my love of stories and books and fed me one book after another," the actress says in the video. "She let me help in the library during lunch and after school and during breaks, and she let me help order new books and work the card catalog."
"And she even published a little story that I had written." Garner added. "She 'published' it herself, made it its own card for the card catalog and gave it a spot on the shelf in the school library."
Garner has long been an advocate for teachers. Last June, she wrote a heartfelt thank-you note to educators on Instagram, marking the end of her family's 13-year journey through elementary school.
"A little gratitude for our wonderful family elementary school at the end of 13 years together applies to all educators: thank you for doing what you do. ♥️ ," she wrote at the time. "And congratulations to all the mamas out there with kids moving from one phase to the next."
