Gratitude in the Classroom: 5 Reasons I'm Thankful to Be a Teacher

During this time of year, as the days get shorter and the weather turns colder, I begin thinking about all the reasons that I have to be thankful. I think about my family, my friends and even the opportunities I have been able to have this year.

However, I often forget about another area of my life where I should feel thankful: my career as a teacher. Sometimes, as teachers, it can be difficult to think about gratitude when there are so many systemic issues in education that seem to take over our lives. However, if I take a minute and think, I know there is no place I’d rather be. Here are five reasons why I’m thankful to be a teacher.

1. The Influence I Have on a Child’s Life

This is the No. 1 reason, and of course it is the one that most teachers will often tell others when asked why they are in the profession. I teach because it is such a profound way to have an impact on a human being. Every day, I get the privilege to be in a room with teenagers and shape their lives. I get to talk with them about their lives, I get to learn different aspects of Generation Alpha, and along the way, I get to share lessons with them about literature, about humanity and about what it means to be a productive member of society. What a treasured privilege that is – and one that I definitely do not take lightly.

2. The 10,000 Steps I Get a Day

This one makes me laugh, but it is so accurate. Most teachers that I know say that they would rather be anywhere but behind a desk. I love that my job is different each and every day, and I am able to be up, moving around in front of people. I move constantly when I am in the classroom. I am greeting students in the hallway, I am moving around the room to conference with students, and of course I am running to make copies, plug in laptop chargers, etc. When I come home, I am exhausted, but I am also aware that I got a good workout, too! There is definitely no danger in being sedentary all day when you are a teacher.

3. The Connections I Have with Other Teachers

One thing that I have realized about a stressful job is that, even though it can be isolating, the bond that you make with other teachers sustains me through the tough moments. My teaching colleagues provide me with so much help – we lesson plan together, we laugh together, and we are able to problem solve together, which is something that I never take for granted.

Also, the connections I have with other teachers isn’t just with teachers that I know. When I’m talking with someone I have never met before, many times my career will just naturally come up in conversation. When that happens, if the person I am speaking to happens to be a teacher, this certain “look” will come over both of our faces. We will recognize in each other a fellow kindred spirit, much like someone who is the same age, and the conversation will continue from that point. Teachers uplift other teachers, and we all recognize that personality trait.

4. I Never Have to Stop Learning

Another joy of this profession can be found in the way it affects my mind. Each and every day, I am challenged to think differently, to try different things and to expand my horizons. I am always listening to different podcasts, reading different articles and trying things in a different way.

These types of habits carry over into other facets of my life, too. I am always thinking about different places to travel or different adventures to go on over the summer. The life of a teacher provides you with that type of mindset, which is so inspiring. Also, since I am faced with several different styles of people throughout any given day, I am also learning about what makes different people tick. When I am in other situations, I utilize those skills, and I know that type of thinking will follow me even after I retire.

5. I Am Able to See the Big Picture of Society

I think the best part of being a teacher is not only seeing learning happen among all the students in my classroom, but also seeing how the microcosm of my classroom fits into the greater picture of the world. A classroom connects to a school which connects to a district and so on and so forth. Learning about all of the systems (whether I like it or not) has a profound impact on how I view the world. Even when an issue like the amount of standardized testing gets me frustrated and aggravated, when I try to search for solutions, I am able to see how one small factor has an effect in multiple other places.

Likewise, when I teach a student a very important skill for success in today’s society (for example: digital literacy), that student is able to take that lesson out into the world and teach someone else. Those little trickles of knowledge can end up being a waterfall of change, which is so important for the continued success of our world.

Even if your year is going in a stressful direction or you don’t quite feel like you have made a connection with your students, it is important to realize that you make a difference. I am thankful that you have chosen the greatest profession in the world.

2024-25 Michigan Teacher of the Year Kelley Cusmano is an English Language Arts teacher at Rochester High School in Rochester Community Schools and is in her 20th year of teaching.