#SAVMP Prompt 2: #Thankful

This post wasn’t originally intended to be part of the SAVMP series, but it really does fit the theme, so I’m going with it.

Let’s share what we are THANKFUL for. Do you have amazing colleagues? A student that makes it a joy to come to work each day? The most amazing office staff on the planet? Tag them, celebrate them, and let them know they are appreciated. Share the GOOD.

Between staff observations, curriculum work, program development, budget planning, meetings (oh, the meetings), and the everyday “putting out fires”, school administrators are a busy bunch.  It’s very easy to get carried away in the crush of it all, but that’s also precisely why it is so important to intentionally pause to share your gratitude for the people who make the work possible.

On this day, the day before Thanksgiving in the U.S., I wanted to pause to let the staff I supervise know that I see them and I appreciate them.  I sent them this message this morning:

Good morning everyone,

In the spirit of the season, I thought I would share with you some of what I am thankful for.

• I am thankful for our art teachers, who teach our students to view the world and express themselves through a multitude of lenses.
• I am thankful for our business teachers, who teach our students to navigate the ever-changing economic landscape of today and tomorrow.
• I am thankful for our music and theater teachers, who teach our students to tell the great stories of history, as well as their own, with equal passion.
• I am thankful for our librarians, who teach our students critical information literacy skills and foster their love of reading.
• I am thankful for our technology teachers, who teach our students to be critical and ethical consumers and creators of technology.
• I am thankful for our family & consumer science teachers, who teach our students to understand the importance – and foster the well-being – of the “cultural kaleidoscope” of individuals, family, and community.

Thank you for all that you do for students everyday, which are far too numerous to list but are most definitely appreciated.

Have a relaxing holiday weekend,

Damian

Our challenge moving forward should be to demonstrate our gratitude regularly – not just on holidays – through both our words and our actions.