“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” –  Friedrich Nietzsche

Thanksgiving is the time of year when I become nostalgic for the days of elementary school when we would create turkeys by tracing our hands, and learn new and exciting words such as cornucopia. As a child you’re also taught that this holiday’s origins revolve around the European settlers and First Nations breaking bread together. Now I’m not going to get political with this post, but focus mainly on the name of this day – Thanksgiving.

I think I say ‘thank you’ at least 5 to 10 times each day. The phrase is a part of my daily speech, as I’m sure it is for many others. But how thankful am I really? Is it just something to say? I think it’s important to reflect on what you are truly grateful for, not just on Thanksgiving, but everyday. Often I find myself stressed and overwhelmed with work and life in general, but when I stop and think about all the positive things in my life, there is a sense of comfort. But how often do I express to those who provide me with these happy thoughts how grateful I am? I strongly believe that more people need to give thanks wholeheartedly and truthfully to those who have made an impact in their life. A simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way and make someone’s day. I know that when I’m finished teaching a lesson and student thanks me, it makes me feel appreciated and validated.

This Thanksgiving I challenge you to reflect on what you are truly thankful for and to actually make an effort to say it aloud.

Thank you to my loving husband, Brandon. You are my best friend, my partner in crime, and there is no one I rather have by my side. You are supportive, creative, hard working, and understanding. The love I have for you is truly indescribable.

Thank you so much Mom and Dad. The two of you taught me to work hard, have fun, and appreciate life. I love you both so much.

Thank you to my sister, Amanda. You are so talented and my inspiration to be creative. Also, thank you Tristan, for being the best brother in law ever. Thanks to both of you for bringing my incredible (and adorable) nephew, Imriel, into the world.

Thank you to my mother in law and grandmother in law (is that a term???) You are always so proud of me and Brandon and are always there to support us.

Thank you to all my colleagues and students. Teaching has its challenges, but it also has its rewards. I have supportive coworkers, and work in a positive environment that allows me to teach what I am passionate about and love, and to reach out and promote social justice. I have taught some pretty amazing students who have educated me too.

Thank you Ken G. for giving me the chance to see Europe for the first time. Since 2010, I have seen so many incredible places and have learned so much from these adventures!! I’m so fortunate for the opportunities I have had exploring the world.

Thank you to my two best friends Sara and Julianna who I have known my entire life. Even though we don’t see each other all the time, I know we’ll always have each other’s backs.

I am also thankful for my fur baby Boris, my home, my country, and simply this beautiful universe we live in.

What are you thankful for?

“Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three.” – Confucius

Education is an important and influential aspect of each person’s life, but it is the teachers who have the ability to make a difference in the lives of students. As a teacher, I strive to incorporate active learning in the classroom and create a positive environment where my students are inspired to reach their goals and are encouraged to be life long learners.

As I enter my ninth year teaching, it’s important that I look back at my experiences and the valuable lessons that I have learned. Firstly, I discovered throughout the past eight years, that if the teacher respects the students, the students are more likely to respect the teacher. In addition, through my experience with adolescents, partnerships are of utmost importance. I have found that when working with teenagers, partnerships provide them with empowerment, which allows them to be confident in themselves. As a teacher, I have also learned to be sensitive to others’ differences. Whether it was cultural, religious, or political differences, I do my best to develop strategies to make sure that every student is actively involved. I believe in implementing a critical pedagogy, where the diversity amongst students allows them think about their own experiences to help them learn, and also reflect on different perspectives. The experiences I had are also important to me because they have increased my passion for education. Without the passion for teaching, the students would not benefit from what is being taught. I believe that if a teacher loves what they do, and is as enthusiastic as I am, the students will enjoy the class more. Finally, my experiences have reinforced my belief in active and participatory learning. The positive responses I received from my students have shown me how engagement and participation truly enhances the learning experience. At the beginning of each school year, I commit to bringing this into my classroom, where I will have students actively explore the stories that create and influence our lives.

Overall, I truly believe that it is the responsibility of teachers to support, challenge, and inspire students. As a teacher, I will uphold this belief by continuing to grow professionally and by creating a culture of thinking in my classroom, where there is a spirit of inquisitiveness and critical thinking, as well as a respect for creativity.

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What do you think makes a good teacher? Share your thoughts below!

 

 

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“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”  – Thomas Jefferson

Whenever my husband and I are on vacation, I look around at my surroundings, then I say to him, “we’re lucky”. But what does it exactly mean to be lucky? What is luck? In this particular circumstance, I attribute our “luck” to hard work. My husband and I work hard at our jobs and save our money so that we can enjoy travelling. Some even say that I was lucky to have been hired straight out of teacher’s college. Once again, I don’t see it as luck, but working my butt off in university, and being at the right place at the right time. Saying I’m lucky doesn’t give me much credit. So, does luck exist? I’m not too sure. In my experiences, what people see as “lucky” is just the result of hard work, perseverance, and determination; it always has a cause. In terms of gambling and winning money, once again there’s a cause – taking a chance. I don’t think luck is as spontaneous an occurrence as others may believe.

There’s a video of actress Angelina Jolie receiving a humanitarian award where she says that she is lucky, for there could be another person somewhere is the world better looking and more talented than her, but she is the one who is famous. Her case is convincing, but is it really luck or the fact she has famous parents who worked hard to get to stardom? What about me? I could say that I’m also lucky because I live in a free country and I never had to worry about food or shelter, but I think that is thanks to my parents and grandparents. Though I may be skeptical of luck, I do wonder about when bad or “unlucky” things happen to good people. In the end, I think we make our own luck, whether it be by taking a chance or making the most of what we are given.

And speaking of luck, check out the latest issue of my favourite magazine, New Philosopher. Every issue is not only visually beautiful, but full of interesting essays and ideas that force you to think about yourself and the world around you. I guess I am feeling “lucky” as I’m featured in the current issue’s “Living Philosophy” section! See where you can get your copy in Canada here.

Do you believe in luck? Be sure to comment below!

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