Happy Thursday!

I have a lot to be Thankful for this week.
 It is the perfect storm:  Halloween week, a full moon and working on progress reports- stress does not sum up what I am feeling.  I am so thankful for the support I am getting from my friends and co workers.

But this blog is about ways to show thankfulness so I will share my Halloween way to show appreciation.  In my building I started the "You Have Been Boo'd"  -  If your not familiar let me explain.  The idea is that you leave a treat in a co workers mailbox, they put up the sign "We Have Been Boo'd" and then they are to leave a treats in another co workers mail boxes in 24 hrs.  It is fun to think of ideas of things to put in the mailboxes (chocolate is a favorite in our building)  It is one of the small things that help improve morale at school.  The students even get into it as they see the ghost on your door to show that your class has been boo's.  I know Halloween is 2 days away, but its not too late to start your own "You Have Been Boo'd" at your school.

Here is the official web site for more information: http://www.beenbooed.com

Enjoy the upcoming weekend and extra sleep when we set our clocks back. Keep sharing the Thankfulness/Appreciation to the teachers around you.

And as Always,
THANK YOU for reading this blog.

Michelle

You'v

Another Amazing Week

Thankful Thursday this week was wonderful.

This week I decided to work on Thankfulness in my classroom.  As we went to lunch Thursday I reminded my class to say thank you to every person who helps them in the lunch room.  I have to say it took a little longer to get lunch, but everyone was smiling.  Today my class reflected on how they felt and what they saw in others when they said thank you.  That is something as adults I am not sure we do.

Do we take the time to reflect on what we have done?  So this week say thank you to someone you have met for the first time.  Think about how you felt and how they reacted.   Reflect in your journal.  As adults we often do things so automatic that we do not take time to enjoy the moment.  So I give you permission to be a kid and take the time to enjoy the moment.  Don't worry the grading, dishes and dinners will still be waiting for you to do- but I promise you will feel better doing them.


Have a great week and THANK YOU for reading my blog.

Michelle

Welcome to Thankful Thursday- A new blog about being and showing Thankfulness.

As teachers we do not show or give the appreciation we deserve.  We work long days and weekends. Even if we are not planning, grading or creating we are always thinking.  You know it is true- you go to the grocery store, pick up an apple and suddenly you have 2 new center ideas and a whole science lesson from that one apple.   Well with this hard work comes burnout- we hear about it, talk about it and try to prevent it.  But how?  Appreciation!  When you are appreciated at work, home, w friends it makes even the worst situation seem not so bad.

A great example is: You are having a bad day fighting the copier and behind you suddenly a coworker says "Thank you for that great lesson idea"  - you feel the tension slide away.  Did you beat your battle with the copier- NO- but when someone says THANK YOU for something you have said or done it makes our day a little bit less stressful.

My intention for this blog is to share ideas on ways we as teachers, can appreciate and thank each other.
Please contact me with ideas on ways you show your appreciation.

So for today-
Start your thankful journal- write each thing you do to show another person thanks.  When you are having a tough day look back at the journal - I guarantee it will at make you smile, or at least feel a little better.

If you can't think of who to thank today:

Thank a teacher that has mentored you.  Send him/her a note of thanks for 1 thing you do that they taught you.  


Have a great day and THANK YOU for reading this blog.

Michelle