Happy Thanksgiving!
We've once again reached that point in the year as the holiday season begins when we turn out thoughts toward that which we are thankful. It is a time, even when things may seem difficult, we can focus on the positives (as well as try to look for how the challenges can help us grow). So, as I think about my life right now, I know that there are many positives and challenges that I can reflect on and be thankful for.
I am thankful for the teaching position that I have in a school district that I love to be in. I have always felt welcomed in Sheboygan Falls, and I think my colleagues are some of the best around. I am grateful for my former 3rd grade teammates and the friendships I made at the elementary school, but I am also incredibly thankful for the welcome I received upon my move to the middle school. My partners in the science department and 7th/8th grade teams have been so helpful during my transition to middle school. Additionally, I am thankful to my administrators who saw the potential in me to make this switch at this point in my career. Finally, I am thankful to the Sheboygan Falls community for the decision they made to build the new middle school. I am blessed to be working in the learning space that I have, and the opportunity to work in the new middle school was a major deciding factor that I considered when thinking about this change. Of course, this move hasn't come without its challenges. As I know I've blogged about this before, I have the feeling of being a new teacher again and having so many unknowns. However, I am grateful for those challenges because I know that they are helping me grow as an educator. This was a change that I needed to experience.
Obviously, I can't talk about thankfulness without mentioning my students. In my Thanksgiving blog last year, I took the time to mention things I was thankful for about each student in my class...but that was only about 20 students, not 75, so I think I will generalize my thanks this year :-) I will start with the 8th graders I have, as THIS group of students has a particularly special place in my heart. I don't really talk about it too much, but about 6 years ago I had seriously thought about leaving teaching. I had experienced 2 very stressful years with some difficult student and parent interactions. I did not look forward to coming to school, and I was taking some of these interactions personally. I wasn't the teacher that I wanted to be. But I had heard very good things about the group of students that was coming up to 3rd grade. So, after some reflecting on my teaching and with the encouragement of a few of my close colleagues, I decided to keep going. And I was so glad that I did. This group of 3rd graders (now 8th graders) had been what I needed at that point, and they have also helped me at this point. The opportunity to teach some of my students over again (not just these 8th graders) was also a big motivator for my move to middle school. There are, of course, still challenges, but I think my experiences have helped me to handle these challenges better. I am thankful for my 7th graders, as I think they are giving me a true picture of the changes that middle school students experience. They are testing me as much as I am testing them. From them, I am seeing how important connections are as well as how fragile they are. A few of my 7th graders really struggle with how they interact with one another, so if I can get them to see how they can build each other up rather than tear one another down, I will consider that a great accomplishment.
Finally, I would like to share thankfulness to my family. On top of the changes that have happened at school, there have been changes at home. My wife has been experiencing challenges with her health, and my mom and in-laws have been incredibly supportive. I don't think I would be able to handle everything if it wasn't for them. But through it all, I have to thank my wife, because she has remained very positive during this struggle with her health.
I hope each of you has a happy Thanksgiving, and I will leave you with the mindfulness thought for the week, created by yours truly (as far as I know...): Thankfulness is a chance to show gratitude to that which you would otherwise take for granted.
I am thankful for the teaching position that I have in a school district that I love to be in. I have always felt welcomed in Sheboygan Falls, and I think my colleagues are some of the best around. I am grateful for my former 3rd grade teammates and the friendships I made at the elementary school, but I am also incredibly thankful for the welcome I received upon my move to the middle school. My partners in the science department and 7th/8th grade teams have been so helpful during my transition to middle school. Additionally, I am thankful to my administrators who saw the potential in me to make this switch at this point in my career. Finally, I am thankful to the Sheboygan Falls community for the decision they made to build the new middle school. I am blessed to be working in the learning space that I have, and the opportunity to work in the new middle school was a major deciding factor that I considered when thinking about this change. Of course, this move hasn't come without its challenges. As I know I've blogged about this before, I have the feeling of being a new teacher again and having so many unknowns. However, I am grateful for those challenges because I know that they are helping me grow as an educator. This was a change that I needed to experience.
Obviously, I can't talk about thankfulness without mentioning my students. In my Thanksgiving blog last year, I took the time to mention things I was thankful for about each student in my class...but that was only about 20 students, not 75, so I think I will generalize my thanks this year :-) I will start with the 8th graders I have, as THIS group of students has a particularly special place in my heart. I don't really talk about it too much, but about 6 years ago I had seriously thought about leaving teaching. I had experienced 2 very stressful years with some difficult student and parent interactions. I did not look forward to coming to school, and I was taking some of these interactions personally. I wasn't the teacher that I wanted to be. But I had heard very good things about the group of students that was coming up to 3rd grade. So, after some reflecting on my teaching and with the encouragement of a few of my close colleagues, I decided to keep going. And I was so glad that I did. This group of 3rd graders (now 8th graders) had been what I needed at that point, and they have also helped me at this point. The opportunity to teach some of my students over again (not just these 8th graders) was also a big motivator for my move to middle school. There are, of course, still challenges, but I think my experiences have helped me to handle these challenges better. I am thankful for my 7th graders, as I think they are giving me a true picture of the changes that middle school students experience. They are testing me as much as I am testing them. From them, I am seeing how important connections are as well as how fragile they are. A few of my 7th graders really struggle with how they interact with one another, so if I can get them to see how they can build each other up rather than tear one another down, I will consider that a great accomplishment.
Finally, I would like to share thankfulness to my family. On top of the changes that have happened at school, there have been changes at home. My wife has been experiencing challenges with her health, and my mom and in-laws have been incredibly supportive. I don't think I would be able to handle everything if it wasn't for them. But through it all, I have to thank my wife, because she has remained very positive during this struggle with her health.
I hope each of you has a happy Thanksgiving, and I will leave you with the mindfulness thought for the week, created by yours truly (as far as I know...): Thankfulness is a chance to show gratitude to that which you would otherwise take for granted.
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