I've been e-mailing one of the other teachers every night with 3 things that I'm thankful for. It's a good reminder of the good that sometimes gets hidden inside the day to day struggles of being a first year teacher. Some days are easier to find those things than others.

1. Overall, my students did a lot better on the last round of tests and have been turning in more work. I still struggle with figuring out how to deal with students who really seem not to care at all about how they're doing, and to let some of that go instead of internalizing all of the failure. But also there have been some students who have made some really good progress. Like, super good. They would recognize that last group of words as a fragment. Hopefully.

2.  I was out subbing yesterday and it was so good to come back into my room and see my students again. I'm thankful that for the most part, they were excited to see me too. I'm thankful that seeing them is almost always a highlight of my day. That lets me know that, despite the grumpiness about how much work I have to do always and how much I hate not feeling successful, I'm probably right where am supposed to be.

3. I'm thankful that I live with roommates who understand what it is like to be a first year teacher. I'm thankful they listen to me and put up with me and encourage me. I'm also thankful for a silly puppy who thinks she owns my bed but still lets me take up all the room I want. That one is a bonus.