Since we are coming out of the month of November and entering the holiday season, I would like to take extra time to consider gratitude. I love to take deep dives into the etymology or meanings of words, so the word gratitude was no exception. We all think of gratitude to mean being thankful, but did you realize that it goes further to emphasize having readiness to show appreciation. Do we hold a gratefulness in our hearts or minds? To me, this almost feels proactive. While it is always nice to be thankful in the moment, it could be interesting and definitely beneficial to already have an appreciation for what is to come.
Little Things
Recently, I stopped to purchase some food and, like most retailers right now, I was asked if I would care to donate to feed the homeless. I try to be good about giving to others throughout the entire year, but I know in my heart that as I am thankful for my loving family, warm home, and full pantry, there are many others who do not have this comfort and security. As the cashier processed my purchase, I felt compelled to express that I have been thinking lately about how anything little gesture of giving helps. She began to tell me about a time when her company was out feeding the homeless and a man took the hot food and held it to his face. Now, we might think this was because he was maybe cold and was embracing the warmth or maybe he even wanted to smell steam of deliciousness. It was fact that he had not remembered what it felt like to receive his food fresh from the oven. Little things.
Encouragement
I know sometimes it can be difficult to feel grateful at or for work, especially during this time of year. Most of us are preparing to observe a special holiday and maybe even planning for a trip out of town to be with family and/or friends. My hope is that before you, myself included, leave for a well-deserved break, that we may stop ourselves before we checkout and hold an appreciation for what we and our students have accomplished this first half of the year. Go ahead and start showing appreciation for their hard work that will go until the end of the semester. Prove that the growth mindset has halfway begun. It might even be neat to have your students list all of the things that they learned so far this school year and then set a wish list for what they hope to learn when they come back. Encouragement.
Reach over to your colleagues and hallway teacher mates to see how they are holding up. It is the little things that keep us going. Give each other pats on the back. You might not know who really needs it and you mind realize that person was you.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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