Pendulum

If you haven't read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp, I highly recommend it for your upcoming Spring Break reading. Even if you aren't skipping off to Florida, it will provide the vacation you need!

Everyday, we are faced with many challenges as teachers and plenty to complain about...and we often vent to our fellow teachers in our need to release the toxins of frustration before we head back to class. But there are studies that show that you can actually train your mind to be grateful. What if we can swing the pendulum from complaint to gratitude? Would we discover a hidden joy we didn't see was there all along? Ann Voskamp made a list of 1000 things she was thankful for, and it changed her life. I challenge all of us this week to write down just a few of our "gifts" per day. Here are some of mine...

1. the kids
2. those hidden smiles from under the "I'm too cool for school" looks
3. friendships with other teachers (sometimes just the silent looks of I don't know what to do with them either . . .)
4. the total unpredictability of day to day life of a teacher (at least it's not a conveyor belt at a factory!)
5. holding on to the dream of bringing our the best in each student
6. that "I can't believe I really just did that- I didn't think I could do that" look.
7. summer break, spring break, winter break, prep period, time to refresh and renew
8. creative ideas for lessons that trick our students into learning
9. an opportunity to show love and encouragement in a world that tells kids they're just future screw ups
10. the lessons I learn from THEIR stories


“Gratitude for the seemingly insignificant—a seed—this plants the giant miracle.”
― Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are