What Are You Thankful For?

Yes, I realize this is a day late. I'll just go ahead and point that out now and get it over with. So, today I taught my students about Canadian Thanksgiving. On Monday, I told them about how I got up early to Skype with my family back home while they enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner. Today, I taught them some new vocabulary surrounding the holiday and we talked a lot about what it means to be thankful. I told them that I am thankful for four things this year. This is what I said to them: 

"I am thankful for four things this year. I am thankful for my family back home in Canada because they always love me. I am thankful for my friends because they always make me laugh. I am thankful for the opportunity to come to China because I have always wanted to see another part of the world. And I am thankful for my amazing students because they make me love my job as a teacher!" They clapped and said that what I said made them very happy! I smiled.

Afterwords, I had them write in their journals answering the question "What are you thankful for?" You know what touched me most about their answers - that every single one of them, all 23 students in that class today, wrote that they were thankful for their parents and families!

"I am thankful for my parents...They gave me a chance to live in this world and I love them very much." - N

"I am thankful for my family because they give me warm and love." - A 

"I am thankful for that I can go to BCCSC, because it makes me confident and happy." - T

"I am thankful to be living in this magnificent world because there are many great things in the world that are waiting for me to discover." - J

"I am thankful for Melissa because she inspires* my passion for English (and I love games!)" - K

I love my job! 

*A little background story: In my fourth year at STU I purchased my T-Ring and had the word "inspire" engraved on the inside of it. I wear this ring every day. As a teacher, I hope that I can inspire even just one student to strive to do better, to follow their dreams, and to be the best them they can possible be. There is one teacher in my public school days that did just that for me. Mrs. Kelley - thank you!