Top 10 Things Teachers Are Grateful for this Holiday Season

Are you excited about Thanksgiving? Maybe you’re looking forward to the cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, or deep-dish apple pie. Maybe you’re excited about the football games or gathering with family. (That is allowed this year, isn’t it?) Or maybe, you’re grateful for an extra-long weekend. No shame in that. Even during the best of times, we could all use a little break now and then.

And, let’s be honest, the past few years have been anything but the “best of times”. You might even say that teaching has definitely been a challenge recently.

But there’s a reason you decided to become a teacher. And there’s a reason you’ve stuck with it, through shutdowns and virtual learning and pandemic teaching and the increasing pressure to get those test scores up. 

Teaching really is a pretty incredible job. What other career gives you the opportunity to shape the future?

Top 10 Things Teachers are Grateful For:

So, as we enter this holiday season, let’s take a minute to think about the top 10 things that teachers are grateful for this holiday season. (And no, June, July, and August are not on the list).

1. A-ha moments! Seeing a child’s face light up with understanding is the number one perk of this job. 
2. Being told how “pretty” you are by adoring students, even though your hair is in a messy bun, you’ve got bags under your eyes, and you’re wearing those pants for the third time this week.
3. Handwritten thank you notes from students and families.
4. A colleague who shows up at your door with a cup of piping hot coffee just when you need it most.
5. Your teacher bestie who thinks nothing of watching your class so you can run to the restroom.
6. Administrators who remember what it was like to be in the classroom and always have your back.
7. Amazing class parents who plan class parties, chaperone field trips, show-up to help with messy science projects, sharpen pencils, put together packets, and pretty do much anything you need to help keep the classroom running smoothly.
8. The building custodian who nonchalantly cleans up vomit and bathroom accidents and miraculously gets sharpie off desks and unidentifiable sticky goo off the floor and still greets you with a smile every morning.
9. Getting to read new childrens’ books as part of your job.
10. Effective, engaging, ready-to-use standards-based resources from Not So Wimpy Teacher that save you so much time and energy.

And of course, we can’t forget the long weekends. Everybody, not just teachers, is grateful for a long weekend.

But even in the third year of COVID-teaching and an environment that can sometimes feel hostile to teachers, notice how time off didn’t even crack the top ten.

Teaching really is an amazing job. And you are an amazing teacher!

We Are Thankful for You!

Thank you for all you do to make the world a brighter place for children.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a Not So Wimpy day,

P.S. If you still need Thanksgiving ideas for the classroom, be sure to check out Easy Thanksgiving Activities Your Students Will Enjoy or Unique Thanksgiving for the Classroom.