Gratitude

Yesterday in our staff meeting, we talked about helping our students to be grateful.  Our theme for this month at our school is going to be gratitude and kindness. I talked to my students and asked them what they thought “gratitude” meant.  One of them said “well it must mean attitude because it sounds like attitude.”

Funny how wise that student was being- that student that I was frustrated with-reminded me that if I started being grateful, then my attitude would change for the better!

So we made a little chant and hung it up on the wall.  “Gratitude helps us have the right attitude!”

Stay tuned for Satisfied Saturdays where we think about being grateful for what we have.  So many times, we want more than we have or we wish we were in a different stage in life, but I’m confident that focusing on being thankful will help us all be more satisfied with where we are.

My reason to be thankful for today is that I have an awesome school team who understands that it’s the little things in life that matter.  One of my students was having a hard day, and my teammate motivated her with a special treat.  Can you guess what it was???

That special motivator was………..a pencil-just a normal blue mechanical pencil-yep.that’s right-a pencil!  This student got SOO excited when my coworker said “Ok if you have a good day, you can use my mechanical pencil.”   It made me laugh, but also reminded me that the little things really are important:).

Thanksgiving and Joy Rekindled

Here we are on Saturday night after some nice long days of rest and relaxation and family (and lots of turkey and stuffing). Is it really almost over? Do I have to go back to work on Monday? Can I please sleep in some more and pretend that the real world doesn’t exist? But now I remember those precious students God has put in my care. I’m thankful for them. I’m thankful for the way God has led me to stay at the same school for almost 15 years. I’ve gotten to know many students and families over those years. One benefit to teaching special ed (besides all that “wonderful” paperwork”:) is that many times I have students for several years in a row. I get to know the students and their families well. As I look back, I’m thankful for those good times and those hard times that we’ve walked through together. Do I want to go back and prepare for more principal observations or other schools coming in to see our new programs? Nope-I don’t. I’d rather just teach!

I dream of regular and consistent planning time. I dream of uninterrupted instructional time with students so that they have time to learn and apply new skills. I dream of students who come to school well-fed, well-rested, and ready to learn. I dream of being able to actually use all those great brain based learning strategies instead of prepping students for a test. I dream of time to collaborate with other teachers. I dream of a school and a world where all people are respected regardless of their disability. I dream of a world where people are noticed for their strengths. I dream of a world where neurodiversity is accepted and celebrated instead of torn down. I dream of teaching.

But now we’re heading into a new week. Although I don’t enjoy all that paperwork, and I don’t enjoy spending hours of my “free” time planning, I know that God is in control. A week of being away from the daily grind has reminded me that He’s got a plan. Even when I miss my planning for the fourth time in a week or even when I have to re-do another rating document (just to show for the fifth time that my kids have made progress on that skill) or even when I have to spend an extra hour on every single IEP because the computer program is less user friendly than it used to be, I can trust that God has a plan. He has put those students and families and coworkers on my path for a reason. It’s not just about teaching the content. It’s about sharing His love and His joy with those that He has put on my path. Today I am thankful for my job and thankful for time off that has allowed me to have that joy in teaching rekindled.