Many Thanks

In the honor of the season, I am using this blog post for focusing on what I am thankful for in my school life. I have had the honor of helping open a new elementary school in my district. I have had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from a tremendous principal. It has also been a blessing working with a wonderful staff, who has been up to the challenge of opening a brand-new school.

I am thankful for my school kids. They remind me of my purpose at school. I thank them for their positive, smiling faces. I thank them for their love of learning. I am thankful for their enthusiasm and for showing up everyday.  I am thankful for the students who look out for each other. I love it when the older students look after the younger students on the bus or in the cafeteria at breakfast. I am thankful for the students who I know come from tough home lives but are champions at school anyway. I love to see students display grit. Learning to persevere is one of the top life skills. I am thankful that I am able to witness the young man in third grade who overcomes physical ailments on a daily basis without ever complaining, or even blinking for that matter. I get to watch him plug away each day with a smile on his face. He never feels sorry for himself or compares himself to others. One day he challenged me to a race. During the race, he slipped on the slick, gym floor. In the blink of an eye, he was back on his feet and putting one foot in front of the other. I am thankful for the Gung-Ho 5th grade girl who is a member of every extra curricular activity that we offer. She comes to school early twice a week and stays after school up to twice a week. She is in the Chorus, Science Club, Student Government Association, and a member of the Battle of the Books team. She takes advantage of everything that our school has to offer and excels. This enthusiasm will take her far in life! Most of all, I am thankful for the kids at school because they make me confident that we have a bright future in store for us.

I am thankful for my co-workers at school. I am thankful you are problem solvers and have positive attitudes. I am thankful for my co-workers who champion kids. Thanks for not giving up on students. Thanks for not showing frustrations. Thank you for designing your classroom for all of your students. Your classrooms are such happy places! Thank you for meeting with parents after school. Thank you for sitting in IEP meetings during your planning.Thanks for all the extra time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears you put into your job. You go way above and beyond 40 hours per week. Thank you for offering extra-curricular activities for our students. Thanks for offering Science Club. Thanks for offering before school choir. Thanks for offering Student Government Association. Thanks for offering the Battle of the Books Club. You don't make a dime for offering these wonderful opportunities for our students, but you surely make an impact. I am thankful for my staff who is beginning to branch out and discover all that Twitter offers for personal growth. I am thankful for the instructional assistant, who when assigned the task to drive an activity bus on a field trip, drives to the location in her personal car and on her personal time. She has done that twice so far this year. What dedication! Thanks for going above and beyond for our students!

I am thankful for having the opportunity for learning from a dynamite principal. She supports our teachers so much! Its been amazing to watch her as the opening of our new school has unfolded. She knew exactly what our new classrooms needed. She knew what our teachers needed. She understands what the community demands and expects. Most importantly, she knows what our students require to be successful. She is an efficient problem solver, who expertly plans upcoming events. I have a better respect for the importance of details because of her. She leaves very little to chance. I am thankful for being able to learn from her on a daily basis.

I am also thankful to my Personal Learning Network. I have an awesome group of friends and colleagues that I learn from on Twitter. I even have a small group of peers whom I collaborate with via Voxer, I appreciate their willingness to share. I am also thankful for the Edu Heroes that I look up to. Thanks to innovators like Dave Burgess, George Couros, Adam Welcome, and Todd Neslonely. I admire their passion, enthusiasm, intelligence, and generosity. They have inspired me to challenge myself to grow as an educator.

Thank you to all of my students, coworkers, and fellow educators for the huge impact you have made in my life! I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!