November and December have become synonymous with gratitude and selfless giving! This season is a unique celebration of humanity's goodness, an acknowledgment of our need for each other, and a purposeful assessment of our blessings.
There was a lightbulb moment when I was in elementary school, probably 4th or 5th grade. I had a writing assignment and the topic was about feelings. I realized that joy is the opposite of sorrow, and happiness is the opposite of sadness. It dawned on me that they were symbiotic. You can't have one without the other, meaning you cannot fully understand OR experience one of those emotions without understanding and experiencing the other! Therefore, humans must be grateful for all of life's moments, both the exceptional and the dreadful. We must live in both dichotomies, work through the challenges, and seize the existing treasure. Let's look at a few ways yearbook advisers/teachers can see the jewels of gratitude in their teaching experience.
Gratitude in difficult moments
There are moments when you wish you could redo or rewrite what happened. In retrospect, can you see these moments differently, with thankfulness, those times you said the wrong thing, forgot to schedule the layout process, didn't push the students to meet deadlines, etc.? Find gratitude for how far you have come and what you have learned alongside your staff members. Be grateful for the administrators, the other faculty members, and the staff who have helped your students, given their wisdom, and shared their stories.
Gratitude for your staff
How about your staff? This marvelous group of students, who at times are rowdy, noisy, slightly disrespectful, but very intelligent. Somehow they created the book, even with all the drama and disagreements they may have had. Be grateful for how they learned to resolve conflict, work as a team, and speak their mind with respect toward others. Be thankful for the days when plans went awry and what you learned from the experience. Your students grew in their skills and learned to manage their schedules.
Gratitude for others
Who shares their wisdom with you, inspiring your love for learning? Students and faculty help you in your journey, provide input, and model their craft well. Some administrators permit free access to the school for the interviews and photo ops you need for the yearbook. Be grateful for their keen eye and positive feedback. Other people in your life have powerful advice and hope to give. All of them have a part in the success of your instruction and the impact of the yearbook.
To be honest, It is difficult at times to be grateful. We often get so busy we forget to give thanks for the small or the large things. To help us, we are sharing with you a 25-day Gratitude Challenge. This is a list of 25 things to be thankful for from Dec 1st through Dec 25th. You and your staff are invited to reflect on a concept or person per day. Invite others to join you by making it a school-wide challenge. Collect responses from the participants and use these as part of a Gratitude Challenge page spread. It could be a valuable and meaningful way to end the yearbook.
Download a PDF of Natural Beach Living’s 25-Day Challenge here.
United Yearbook joins you in this Season of Thanksgiving and Gratitude. We are grateful for partnerships with each of our advisers and their staff, and are ready and willing to bring your creative ideas to life! Please visit our website at www.unitedyearbook.net and subscribe to our blog, newsletter, and podcast. Schedule your yearbook 1-on-1 here.
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Contributor/ Editor: Donna Ladner obtained a B.A. in Education and a minor in English from California Baptist University, and a M.S. in ESL from USC, Los Angeles. After she married Daniel, their family moved to Indonesia with a non-profit organization and lived cross-culturally for 15 years before returning to the U.S in 2012. Donna has been working as an editor and proofreader for TSE Worldwide Press and its subsidiary, United Yearbook since 2015.
Contributor: Lucy McHugh comes to United Yearbook Printing from a 39-year career in public and private school education. She was a former visual art teacher and yearbook adviser. She received a Bachelors of Science in Art from Columbia College in Columbia, SC, a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska in 2000, and in 2014 earned a Certificate in Catholic School Leadership from Loyola Marymount University. Lucy enjoys her family, making art and gardening.
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