Giving Thanks for the Little (Big) Things

The future of education in America is looking a little uncertain at present. From discussions that involve the eradication of the Department of Education to numerous battles around crucial issues such as curriculum or accessibility, it can be hard to feel as though anyone who doesn’t work in this field understands what teachers do. As educators nationwide head back to school after Thanksgiving break, many of us are looking to exercise gratitude without taking a sharp turn toward toxic positivity. During times like this, focusing on whatever we can appreciate in our limited circles of control is one way to more productively manage all the complex feelings that may be roiling within. 

A Visible Impact on Student Growth

In teaching, it doesn’t take long to start seeing whether our students are making progress. For many jobs, the impact of the work can be unclear or even nonexistent, but within the classroom, it is easier to see how our work makes a difference. For many of the students we teach, we see noticeable improvements over time. True, not every student experiences growth on a trajectory that is considered ideal, but even little signs of headway are encouraging. For example, I once had a student who struggled to make it to school and his assignments therefore went undone much of the time. It turned out that he had to work two jobs after school to support his family, so he and I developed a plan for communication that would allow him to stay more caught up. His progress was far more incremental than I wanted it to be, but I could also see how his gradual journey made a significantly positive impact on his future. 

Supportive Colleagues 

Teaching is a field that is often referred to as being “in the trenches,” which has many potential negative implications. However, our jobs are defined not just by the students we teach in those metaphorical trenches, but also by the colleagues we bond with. Between classes, during lunch, or in other rare moments of downtime, the people who best understand what it’s like to be in this profession are fellow teachers. In one school I worked at, the teacher with the desk across from mine came in about 10 minutes early every day to organize her paperwork before the day began. As she sorted her things, we always chatted for a minute or two. I really looked forward to that short time of connection each day, and we are still friends who touch base with one another to this day even though we work in different places.

A Daily Purpose

Long ago during a focus group, a student shared a thought that has resonated with me ever since: “Teachers hold so much more influence over us than they realize.” When she said that, it made me think about how being a teacher is not just influential, but that it also holds great inherent purpose. Being useful is important. There are so many jobs that have no meaningful influence on the lives of others, but teaching is not one of them. 

Aside from any kind of academic impact we may have on the future of our students, we also influence their lives in numerous other ways by providing inspiration, support, or advice. My own children talk in glowing terms about the teachers who open up their classrooms during non-instructional time (like at lunch) to help students with their work, or just to be a listening ear. In my own teaching, I always set aside two or three days a week to be available for students, and those unstructured moments that offer help and support have always added to my overall sense of purpose. 

Reason to Hope

No matter how dire things look at times, younger generations give us reason to believe in a better future. Anyone who has been in a classroom knows that working with kids is generally an inherently more hopeful proposition than working with adults. For one thing, adults may be less malleable and more set in their ways, whereas kids are still learning and growing with a degree of openness that allows for progress. Furthermore, the jadedness that comes with age has usually not set in with kids until they get much older, so we still have opportunities to encourage our students to dream big and do their best to change the world.

This Thanksgiving, it might be difficult for many of us who work in education to feel gratitude for several aspects that influence the work we do, but perhaps we can stop short of feeling utterly hopeless. In addition to feelings of personal gratitude, centering aspects of our professional lives that are worthwhile will make the upcoming holiday far more enjoyable and fulfilling. 

Written by Miriam Plotinsky, Education World Contributing Writer

Miriam Plotinsky is an instructional specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where she has taught and led for more than 20 years. She is the author of several education books with W.W. Norton and ASCD. She is also a National Board-Certified Teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision. She can be reached at www.miriamplotinsky.com or via Twitter: @MirPloMCPS

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