The first Thursday in November we started the idea of a gratitude chain to hang up in the classroom. One student said for every meal her family sits down to in November, they share one thing they're grateful for. The students and my co-homeroom teachers and I decided that anyone could write on a link of the chain, but they could not repeat the same thing they've written before. We also decided that you didn't have to share it aloud with the class - we'd take the chain down before winter break and share each one aloud. No names were needed.
My ELA classes wanted to try it, as well, so we started a chain for each period. The room looked very festive for a bit (I regret we didn't get a photo of the chains hanging), two were a bit destroyed at one point, and then they were put back up. Some links were mixed with the other classes due to this, so I made sure every child was represented when we shared (each child's name was on a link - one student in each class did this for us). My middle class added a bunch of tiny ones in a frenzy one day (socks, Yeezys, paper, pencils, pens, chairs, etc.), so we added a new "rule" the next week - we can only write things we feel grateful for that don't cost any money.
Below is a list of the ones from our homeroom chain I brought home. I had added my own, but these below were from the students.
I'm thankful...
- I don't have to wear my knee brace
- I found a good book
- my brother likes me
- I have a supportive family
- for school, friends, family, dance, music, shelter, clothes, rain/snow
- for good family and friends
- for friends that care about me
- for a house
- for trees
- for education
- for Mother Nature
- for books
- for sports
- for my homeroom
- for clean water
- for all our veterans
- for police officers
- for firefighters
- for teachers
- for doctors and nurses
- for kind people
- for my family being so fortunate
- that the doctors found the cancer in my mom and got it of her
- for my ability to learn and stay optimistic
- for having people who believe in me
- for the people who hear me out that rats are better than what you think
- my grandpa has been cancer free for almost eight years
- for a good friend being still alive after a serious brain injury
- for all the positive energy that surrounds me on a day-to-day basis
- for being able to have food, shelter, and everything I have
- for everything in general
- I have teachers that are willing to listen
- for people that guide you in the right direction
And an eighth grader (who was new to our district last year and regularly visits our room) found out what we were doing... He added this one:
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| "im thankful for the education" |
We'll be doing this again. For sure.
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