Thankful Thursday · Kell's Classroom

Thankful Thursday

I'm all about alliteration. And, I love a good theme. Enter Thankful Thursday.

We know the research on gratitude. When we express gratitude, we become more grateful, which in turn leads to increased happiness. Gratitude practices may even impact neural pathways related to reward and positive affect, helping build lasting shifts in perspective (Harvard Health, 2021).

How simple, right?

Eh, perhaps not. Intentional gratitude can feel forced and inauthentic—two things my neuro-spicy brain cannot tolerate. I noticed the same feelings of "fine if I have to" from my students every November when the only things they could think of to be thankful for were their friends and family. Though valid, I was curious how we could push our thinking just a little bit and really find and express gratitude more often.

So, how do I find a way to make gratitude feel less forced and more joyful? Around the same time, I noticed our next ELA standard was ‘write a friendly letter’—and it clicked. Gratitude needed a vehicle, and a letter was the perfect fit.”

Thankful Thursday was born. Every Thursday, we would spend real time writing thank-you notes to someone in our community. Teachers, custodial workers, veterans, police officers, grown-ups, siblings, friends, and librarians were thanked for their efforts and impact on our students. After a while, I would run out of ideas, and my students stole the show. My very favorite thank-you note was written for a chair (see note below).

Thankful Thursday not only helped my students practice their handwriting and craft a note that follows ELA conventions- they were truly engaged in the process and rewired their sweet brains to seek gratitude every day.

I've had teachers from schools I used to work at tell me that Thankful Thursday lives on, and that makes my teacher heart so happy.

So, who are you thankful for today? Better yet, who will your students/kiddos thank this Thursday? Grab some stationary, your favorite flair pen, and start the ripple.

Happy thanking,

-Kell

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