November 06, 2025

When Considering What to Be Thankful for, Don’t Forget Students

This is the time of the year when we often pause to contemplate the aspects of our lives for which we are thankful. We might focus on our families. We often reflect on our health. We might consider the career success we have achieved and the colleagues we work with. Our reflections could include the freedoms we enjoy, and the opportunities we’ve had in the past year.

However, there is another important element of our daily lives that we can easily overlook: the students we teach. Of course, some students may make our lives more challenging. Some students may not immediately respond to our efforts. Other students may seem to have a knack for trying our patience.

Consequently, we may not consider our students on the list of reasons to be thankful during this season. However, if we pause and reflect on our relationships, the lessons students teach us, and the extent to which they keep us fresh, we are likely to discover that there is much about the experiences we have with students that are worthy of our appreciation. Consider these aspects of our interactions with students that deserve our gratitude:

Students are the reason we teach. They are our “why.” They present opportunities to shape futures. They give us direction and add meaning to our lives.
Students are often powerful teachers. The questions students ask, the fresh perspectives they offer, and even their misunderstandings can stimulate our thinking and uncover fresh insights.
Students bring energy and possibility to our work. They can make us laugh with their humor and amaze us with their imagination.
Students remind us of the reality of humanity. Students often demonstrate amazing courage, reveal aching vulnerability, and incredible resilience.
Students challenge us to be adaptable. Just when we think we have seen everything, we encounter a student who presents a new challenge, needs a new approach, or invites us to rethink what we have assumed.
Students teach us the value of patience and empathy. Every student needs our understanding and hopes for our support. Often, it is the students who seem to be the most difficult to reach who need us the most.

So, how might we demonstrate the appreciation we feel for our students? Here are six ideas to consider as places to start:

Tell students directly and specifically. We can share with students our appreciation for the effort they invested in a project, the care they demonstrated for a classmate, or the restraint they demonstrated despite their frustration. A brief conversation or written note can matter more than we can imagine.
Recognize and celebrate growth. Not every student will find success in response to every learning challenge. However, we can reinforce persistence and progress. Often, students who face the longest learning journey receive the least recognition for what they accomplish.
Give students your full attention. Listening may seem like a small thing. However, full attention is one of the most powerful expressions of respect and gratitude we can offer. Too few students regularly experience the undivided attention of adults in their lives.
Watch for and acknowledge quiet “difference makers.” Notice students who help others without being asked, who work consistently without frequent reminding, or who are peacemakers within the class. These are students who often make our lives easier and work more impactful but rarely receive recognition or are offered gratitude.
Thank students who teach us. Taking time to note when a student’s question makes us reflect, shift our assumptions, or adjust our perceptions can send a powerful message of gratitude. Students rarely assume that what they do or say changes the way a teacher thinks or acts.
Say “please” and “thank you.” These may seem to be small, even incidental elements in our interactions with students. However, they carry a message of respect and civility. Common courtesy can carry a note of gratitude and thoughtfulness in a world that students often experience as harsh and thoughtless.

We should not be surprised if we find students responding to our gratitude with thankfulness of their own. Students may not say it—or even realize it—but we are important people in their lives. Our appreciation for them and recognition of their importance to us can send a powerful message and have an outsized impact on how they see themselves.