1. All thanks begins with my wife, who is my biggest supporter, my sounding board, my first reader of anything I write (even when it is 7pm on a Sunday night and we are all exhausted), and my soulmate. 
2. I am thankful that my schedule this year has provided me with greater focus, less stress, and stronger clarity. One less prep makes a significant impact on a teacher’s well being. 
3. One of my students formed an LLC this year. His business is building gaming computers. It is booming. I am thankful for talented students that possess abilities that far exceed my own. What a blessing it is to see young people shine in a diverse array of enterprises – on stage, on the field, on screen, in business, and so much more.
4. I am thankful that the poems, novels, and short stories that I teach have enriched my own life. Who would I be had I not read Eavan Boland’s “Quarantine,” Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, or so many other works I get to teach? Hopefully the magic I feel becomes their magic. 
5. Teaching is a form of patriotism. I am thankful for the opportunity to inspire and educate the next generation of Americans. 
6. Cell phones are no longer a daily battle in the classroom. I am thankful that I have my students’ attention again.  
7. There is a thriving community of teachers that exists online. Many thanks to all the teachers that lift each other up, offer words of encouragement, and share resources to better the profession. You are the real ones.
8. There are days when this job is not easy. I am thankful for the colleagues that recognize this and know how precious a laugh can be in those moments. 
9. This year a student wrote, “Money was always hard to come by, but basketball gave me something that money never could provide.” It was the first sentence of his college essay. I am thankful that I get a front-row seat to root so hard for this young man’s success. 
10. I am thankful that my administration understands that teachers are role models to students. But my administration also understands that teachers have a greater responsibility to those they love outside of the classroom. That is the model. Take care of the ones you love first.
11. I am thankful that a handful of colleagues join me on Friday for lunch at the local pizza shop. It is refreshing to step out of the building, share some laughs, and come back restored and ready to finish the week. 
12. I am thankful that some precious souls saw something in me early in my career and gave me their thoughts, their time, and their wisdom. I am looking at you Todd Finley, Carol Jago, Jim Burke, Brandon Abdon, and Roy Smith.
13.  Coffee, in the quiet of my classroom, early in the morning before students arrive, is an act of meditative bliss. 
14. Susan Barber encouraged me to read Lonesome Dove in July. It was hardly a beach read, but it was the book I needed at that point in my life. Sometimes people offer you things when you least expect them and they end up meaning everything to you. 
15. Poetry March Madness gets bigger and bigger every year. It has become something that teachers around the world participate in. It is a testament to the fact that we all need more poetry in our lives. 
16. I am thankful for the kids that feel that my room is a safe sanctuary where they can be themselves without fear or judgement. 
17. Teaching puts you in contact with so many fascinating people – colleagues, students, administrators, paraprofessionals, distant teachers you meet at workshops and conferences. Everyone has a story to tell, and as the quote goes, “there isn’t someone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.” I am thankful that my life has been enriched by listening to others.
18. I’m 6-8. People remember height. It leaves an impression. I’m thankful that I stand out in a crowd… that is, until I enter an elementary school and hear, “How tall are you, 6-7?” hundreds and hundreds of times.  
19. My older son is in high school. It still makes my day to see him get off the bus in the afternoon. I am thankful that, since the beginning, my schedule has allowed me to be home for the bus for my two boys more days than not. 
20. I am thankful that I am not burning out. 
21. Donuts are the key to my heart.   
22. I am thankful that the letters still come in saying thanks years after they graduated. 
23. A few times I have had a seat at the table when a new initiative was developed or a reform was brought to life. I am thankful that some of the bigger educational entities value the voices of teachers over consultants. To impact teachers you must respect the voice of teachers. 
24. Who doesn’t love a Sunshine Club day in the faculty room. I am one to load my plate with the goodness of others. 
25. I am thankful that these lines comprised the first lesson I ever taught in an AP classroom, and they have been my North Star ever since 

“that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.