I love getting gifts from my students. I’ve received plenty of the old standards throughout my career: mugs1, tea, coffee, and gift cards. I love it when my students show how well they know me by giving me Superman paraphernalia for my classroom.2 They know how much I love drinking green tea, and they definitely know that I love Superman. But, it’s not about the cookies or chocolate or the Superman socks. What I love most about receiving gifts from my students is their gratitude. Some of my most cherished gifts that I have saved over the years didn’t cost anything. I have dozens of homemade cards and signs and pictures, all from students who wanted to use this time of year to show their appreciation and love. It’s beautiful!
Autumn is traditionally the season for gratitude. I’ve been journaling my gratitude for eight years using the Five Minute Journal app from Intelligent Change. They have since created a beautiful paper journal, but I still use the app to record my gratitude. I think having a practice of gratitude is important for my personal and professional well-being. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs over my 20+ year career, and gratitude has kept me grounded, especially when life feels chaotic and overwhelming. So, as we close out 2024, I want to share my gratitude for some specific people and a few of my favorite things over this past year. First, here are a few people I am grateful for3.
from The Biblioracle Recommends
John was one of the first people I met here on
. After reading his book, The Writer’s Practice, I was inspired to change how I teach writing in my fifth-grade classroom. Since then, I have learned so much about writing as an act of thinking and a form of resistance to standardization. I am grateful for his support and always being willing to answer my questions as I adapt his writing experiences for my fifth-graders.I’m also very grateful for Warner’s passionate, thoughtful, and thought-provoking articles about AI and public education. He recently posted an article that lights a fire in me to resist AI at all levels of teaching and learning in a humanities education. Plus, he gives stellar book recommendations for those in need of a good book to read!
from
I stumbled upon
’s and ’ The Broken Copier Podcast in 2022. After listening to a couple of episodes, I convinced myself to leave an audio comment on a conversation they had about college. I felt there were a lot of connections to my own classroom and the struggles I was facing (and continuing to face) with my own students. They graciously turned my audio into an episode for their podcast, and since then, I have been lucky enough to be a guest on The Broken Copier Podcast. This chance encounter has led to a wonderful collaboration. Luther has inspired me to experiment with structuring my fifth-grade literacy block as an AP Literature course. I’ve learned about The TQE Method and how to be more intentional about the structure of my learning experiences. I’m grateful for Luther’s generosity in sharing the resources he uses in his classroom so that I can adapt them for my own students. He has helped me grow my pedagogy and I know my students are better for it.Recently, we have been collaborating on a fall book study of
’s Everyday Changemakers. It has been an incredible experience and I have learned so much from both Luther and Venet. I’m grateful for this community of changemakers! from
I am grateful to Ramona Grigg for pushing me to think of myself as a writer. After misreading her post, What If We Stopped Welcoming Every Would-be Writer, I was feeling insecure about posting alongside more professional writers on Substack. She made me pinky-promise that I would keep writing and sharing my story with others.
Of course you’re a writer. Never doubt that.
Ramona Grigg
As a teacher, writing about my experiences has helped me connect with educators worldwide. The writing community, similar to the teaching community, is welcoming and inclusive, and I’m grateful that Grigg insisted that I include writer as a part of my teaching identity. Grigg gave me the nudge I needed to create a regular posting habit that I’m proud to say has lasted for over a year. I’m a better writer for her encouragement.
Now, here are a few of my favorite things I’m grateful for on Substack.
Substack Voiceovers
I’ve never been a fast reader. As a kid, I never really enjoyed reading. I read because I had to for school, but I kept my head down during class discussions, did my homework, and graduated as quickly as possible. It wasn’t until twenty years later when my son and daughter were in elementary school that I learned that I may have dyslexia. When my children were diagnosed with dyslexia, I learned that there is a 60% chance that they inherited it from me. Since I struggled to enjoy reading in school, I started to realize that my struggles were most likely because of my own dyslexia. It took me until I was in my early 30s before I began to enjoy reading.
I am lucky that I have learned to love reading, despite my struggles. Part of that enjoyment comes from audiobooks. When I listen to an audiobook and follow along, I feel my entire reading brain light up. When I joined Substack, I was overwhelmed trying to keep up with all the incredible writers writing a ton of incredible essays. When Substack introduced voiceovers, I was thrilled! I always love hearing the author’s voice, and now I can hear some of my favorite writers read their own writing. I’m grateful to any writer who uses the voiceover feature on Substack!
LIVE Video on Substack
I think the ability to broadcast LIVE to subscribers is such a cool feature. Even though I do not yet qualify to host any sort of live streams for my own subscribers, I have enjoyed listening to
’s podcasts from , and especially loved watching his LIVE video conversations. It’s fun to feel like I am a part of the action. My favorite was his recent conversation with Sally Rooney. Check it out!Paid Subscribers on Substack
When I first started
, I had no intention of ever asking for paid subscriptions; I still don’t. I believe that teachers need access to high-quality, FREE resources to help improve their practice, stretch their thinking, and create humane, student-centered classrooms. I’m not a professional writer, but I do enjoy writing. I don’t have any book deals planned for 2025, nor do I ever expect to get paid for sharing my ideas, stories, and lesson failures. However, a few generous souls out there, have committed to paying for my free Substack, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. I’m grateful to anyone willing to upgrade their subscription to a paid one. I appreciate the generosity of others. I may not have much to offer in return, but my gratitude.Whatever your situation, whether you are teaching in a classroom or not; a new teacher or a veteran; working with young students or old; I hope you all have a restful and restorative break. As
always says, we are entering the Dead Week.Who or what are you grateful for? Let me know in the comments below.
Have a wonderful week!
—Adrian
Resources
This is a great video about what a daily practice of gratitude does to your brain.
The Best Audiobooks of 2024 | Audible
I haven’t read all of these books, but the ones that I have listened to, were incredible. If you don’t like this list, perhaps you might see something you like in The New York Times list of The Best Audiobooks of 2024.
I love John Green! I’ve read almost everything he has written.4 I have been watching his Vlogbrother videos with his brother Hank Green, for years.5 So, when he makes a recommendation, I pay attention. In this video, John discusses his favorite gratitude journal from Kurzgesagt. I think I will try to buy one in 2025.
This video has nothing to do with gratitude (although I am grateful for Tim Ferriss including videos from creator Li Ziqi (李子柒), in his newsletter). Her videos are filled with serene landscapes and idyllic activities. If you need a little peace this week, I highly recommend watching her YouTube channel.
I may not have as many mugs as this teacher, but I have enough for each student to have a cup of hot chocolate on the first snowfall of the school year.
If you’ve seen my classroom, you know what I’m talking about.
There are so many other educators on Substack that I am grateful for. Including, but not limited to,
, , , , , , , , , , , , and . Thank you for being so creative and pushing my thinking!I’m hoping to read Everything is Tuberculosis in 2025.
I’m a sucker for overt, brotherly affection.
Learned a lot from you, Adrian!
So glad to hear you enjoy my podcast — merry Christmas!