Giving thanks and eating pie!
Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to gather together. Yes, I know that we just finished the chagim, with all their togetherness.
I didn’t create the calendar; I can only react and I choose to react with a smile and a “thank-you!”
Why a thank-you? Thanksgiving offers us a “pre-made” time to cultivate gratitude. Identifying whom we should thank and what we should thank them for, are initial steps. Then we need to find the appropriate way to articulate appreciation. It ripples out from there, in a multitude of wonderful ways that enhance esteem, foster additional acts of kindness, and forge connections.
And yet… even for those who begin their days with “Modeh Ani,” words of thanks to our Creator, saying thank you to others and acknowledging the good in our lives does not always come easily. Not surprisingly, today you can purchase paper gratitude journals or download gratitude apps reminding you to record “three good things” daily. The app will beep reminders and applaud you when you record regularly.
What has this got to do with education? And marketing?
A simple suggestion: this Thanksgiving, in addition to expressing gratitude to others, or sending home a booklet of children’s adorable “I’m thankful for…” quotes, consider letting your parents and other stakeholders know how you teach students to incorporate the value of gratitude into their lives. After all, producing tomorrow’s mentschen is a goal you share with your parents. Parents truly enjoy discovering more about the tools of your trade and appreciate learning practical strategies that they can reinforce at home.
Share your ideas and pedagogic strategies with them… and with us! Please email your “gratitude ideas” so that other principals, administrators, and teachers can learn from you. I’m sure they will thank you.
Have questions? Should you have any questions about assessing present materials, including photos, implementing a marketing plan, crafting compelling stories, utilizing data-driven research to present your case, or any of my cost-effective day school services, please feel free to send me an email or call me at 516.569.8070.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Kol tuv,
Candace Plotsker-Herman