InClass

A job that makes room for your passion? Yes, please!

When the teacher blues hit, as sometimes they do, it can be easy to feel underappreciated and lost in the shuffle. The best way to fight a bout of these gnashing feelings is to remember what it is we ourselves are grateful for. Here’s a quick list — both humorous and serious — of what we have to be thankful for in our classrooms.

1. Monday mornings... Well, some of them. Thanks to holidays and three-day weekends, we get our fair share of Mondays off. Fall breaks, Thanksgiving weekends, the end of December — those are all high on our lists, too.


2. …and waking up early. No, really. Starting early means we’re done with our workdays faster. Or we can be — if we fight the urge to grade all 153 essays in one night. Also, allow yourself a moment to appreciate the beautiful, Arizona sunrises. Keep your eyes peeled for hummingbirds flitting around saguaros this time of year.


3. Health insurance and secure employment. While Arizona’s teacher shortage is nothing to celebrate, it does mean that you are a needed and championed resource. Although deductions from our paychecks aren’t the least bit fun, having health coverage (glasses and flu shots, and teeth cleanings, oh my!) is indeed something to treasure.


4. Maintenance staff. Oh, so many thanks.


5. A job that makes room for your passions. Algebra? Literature? Small humans? A lifetime of learning? What is your list of passions that prompt you to examine, instruct, and relish in day after day? Teaching is truly a job like no other. Be thankful for the opportunities it gives you to explore the things you love.


6. Bathroom breaks. Pizza day. Supply donations. The perfect sub. Getting saved by the bell. Comfy shoes. Working technology. Snow days. OK, not snow days for those of us south of Flagstaff, but maybe not having to scrape ice off our car windows at 6 a.m. It’s the little things that make the biggest differences.


7. No dull days. We like being on our toes.


8. The best students. We’re partial to our Arizona kids. They’re the perfect grab bag of all the best things — drive, spirit, wide-eyes, and soft hearts. It always comes back to the kids who motivate us to do better and touch our souls every day.

Count up your teacher-blessings, Arizona educators; we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. What else tops your list?