Summary

Ellie Jacobson expresses gratitude for teachers and encourages others to join her in a month-long gratitude journaling project on Medium, highlighting the challenges faced by teachers during the pandemic and the impact on students.

Abstract

Ellie Jacobson recalls a family tradition of gratitude journaling during November, where her children would write daily what they were thankful for. Revisiting past gratitude notes, she reflects on the value of this practice and decides to extend it to the Medium community. She specifically thanks teachers for their dedication and resilience during the pandemic, acknowledging the mental health struggles of students and the supportive response from educators. Jacobson invites fellow writers to contribute their own expressions of gratitude, suggesting various forms of appreciation for teachers, and quotes Guy Kawasaki to emphasize the societal value of educators.

Opinions

Jacobson values the practice of gratitude journaling as a means of reflection and appreciation.
She believes that teachers deserve recognition for their efforts, especially during the challenging times brought on by the pandemic.
She appreciates the school district's preparedness for e-learning and the teachers' ability to adapt to full-time distance learning.
Jacobson acknowledges the mental health issues faced by students, including her own children, and commends teachers for their supportive role.
She suggests that acts of appreciation, such as gift cards or poems, can be meaningful to teachers.
Jacobson views teachers as heroes and pillars of society, quoting Guy Kawasaki in support of this view.
She is passionate about community engagement and encourages others to participate in the gratitude project by sharing their own stories and tagging her.

Thankfulness

Gratitude Journal: Thankful for Teachers

Giving thanks each day in November

When my kids were younger, we would do a gratitude project in November. I would set up a fun container from a dollar store and each day they would write on a slip of paper what they were thankful for that day and place their paper into the container, which we would read at the end of the month.

Recently we found our last container of gratitude, which we did before moving about four years ago. It was like finding a time capsule. The kids pulled out each slip, remembering the thing/person/experience they wrote about (and trying to read their handwriting LOL).

Let’s do the same here on Medium!

First of all, thank you Trista Signe Ainsworth for hosting it here at Thank You Notes; I figured this was the best place to begin.

Today I’m thankful for my kids’ teachers.

My sons are in middle school and high school, not easy years for the students, for the parents, or their teachers, especially since the pandemic started.

We were lucky our school district already was set up for e-learning, as most of the students (grade three and up) have iPads. They swiveled into place for full-time distance learning when they had to last school year.

Yet, I know behind the scenes was challenging as many of my friends are teachers in the school district (I briefly worked at the school district for their before/after-school program).

I was used to knowing their teachers so well when they were in elementary school because they only had one primary teacher. It felt more intimate and hands-on if we had issues.

My boys, like most kids, have suffered mental health issues since the pandemic and they still have issues from time to time even though school is “back to normal.”

Whenever I reach out to one of their teachers for help, they are right there, virtually holding my hand. When we had their last round of student conferences, I could see how much they care about the students and how difficult this “new normal” is on them.

If you can do something to thank a teacher this month (or whenever you can) please do, like a $5 gift card, some gently-used books for their classroom, or a poem written by their student about how much they are appreciated. I know they would love it.

“If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers. They are society’s heroes.”

–Guy Kawasaki

Tagging some friends

Will you join me? Trista Signe Ainsworth, pockett dessert, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Pene Hodge, Katie Michaelson, Divina Grey, Julie Gaeta, B.R. Shenoy, L Burton

I will write a post about something I’m thankful for at the end of each day. I invite you to do the same. You could write a post (short-form, long-form, a poem) per day or a weekly post summing up your week of gratitude. Tag me so I can read and comment on your post.

Written by Ellie Jacobson, @2021 all rights reserved.

I’m a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota, writing my first novel, a psychological suspense novel. Are you a writer? Check out Sparks, my newsletter filled with writing prompts to spark your creativity.

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