Thankful to be a Teacher!

Okay, I know. This post is technically coming a few days late. I've been spending time with family and traveling and haven't really had time to blog. But while sitting on the beach today (yes, I'm bragging), I realized that teachers really do have a lot to be thankful for.

In celebration of the Thanksgiving Holiday, here is my list of why I am thankful to be a teacher;

1. The endless stories I have to tell - I cannot imagine any other career that has half the stories that we do. Seriously, I feel like I could have a very successful stand-up comedy career using the material I experience in my classroom. I truly love the giggles that I get everyday from my babies (even if they don't intend to make me laugh).

2. Parents conferences - I seriously love conferences. Please believe me when I tell you that I have experienced all kinds of conferences. I have had plenty of normal meetings, but I have also had some with parents who have shown up drunk, parents who have cried uncontrollably, parents who threatened to kill me, and even parents who have asked me to go to the bar with them afterward. I am thankful for all conferences though both good and bad because when a parent shows up for a conference, that means that they care in some way about their child's education.

3. My co-workers! There are days that I simply could not get by without a little help from my co-workers. Whenever I feel overwhelmed I know I can always turn to my team members to help me out. I remember feeling guilty when I first began teaching for always taking ideas from my co-workers and never being able to give them anything in return. I found out later that they were using my classroom organization ideas all along. Teaching is all about giving and taking. There may be times when you do a little more giving than taking but it will all even itself out in the end.

4. My paycheck, yep, you read that right. Although I may not be rich, I mean seriously, my husband and I are both teachers, I am thankful that I get a paycheck every other week. I can honestly say that each paycheck is very hard earned. Sure I would love to have a few extra dollars, but I am glad that I earn enough to take care of my family.

5. The light bulb moment - This is definitely my favorite part of teaching. When nothing you do seems to work and both of you are starting to get frustrated and then out of nowhere the light bulb goes on and he just gets it. It's amazing. It's a miracle. It's surely something to be thankful for and it truly gives any teacher a reason to keep on teaching.

Take a minute to reflect on all of the reasons why you are thankful to be a teacher during this Holiday season and remember that you should be thankful for all of the Holiday treats in the lounge even if they do mess up your diet!