Hi friends! Thank YOU for coming back to join me for your Weekly Dose of TLC!
As always, I will be focusing on 3 good things for the week in this single post – everything Teacher-Life-Coach is all about:
T: The teacher in me…
L: Life hacks, good finds, and general fun
C: Motivation and inspiration
So, with that, welcome to November! This week’s Dose of TLC will focus on all things GRATITUDE. Let’s get started!
T – Have an Attitude of Gratitude
The teacher in me loves all things SEL (social-emotional learning), and that’s why I get super excited when the month of November comes around because our school-wide focus is always on GRATITUDE.
In the famous words of Aesop: “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
This mindset is so true and so important for living a life full of contentment. When we focus on the good we have, we realize how much good we REALLY have…and that becomes enough.
When I was a classroom teacher, my favorite ‘craftivity’ and bulletin board was the one we did for November. We would read a book about gratitude and then each student would create their own gratitude jar, filling it with all the good they have in their lives. These jars hung in the hallway as a cheerful reminder that we can find gratitude in all things.
Our bulletin board always received many compliments from staff, so I decided to put a real gratitude jar in the main office. Each day as staff members sign in, they take a card and write something they are grateful for on it. It gives me all the feels to see that jar fill up with so much goodness.
With that, I want to share my free printable gratitude cards (3 different versions) you can use if you want to start your own GRATITUDE JAR tradition (I just used a simple Mason jar), either at home or at work. Download them here:
L – Two Books and a Banner
Even as an adult, I still love picture books, and I am a firm believer that important messages can be taught using the right picture books. Therefore, I was/still am always on the hunt for the best seasonal books each year.
My November library collection in my classroom Book Nook was always top notch, filled with the perfect titles to support our gratitude journey. If you have little ones at home – or if you simply love picture books like I do – check out two of my favorites:
Gratitude is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego: https://amzn.to/3YXEUas
I am Thankful by Sheri Wall: https://amzn.to/3UEkFMn
Now, if you are looking to add a little gratitude decor to your space – your fireplace mantel, the front of your desk, etc – I have a free printable banner for you! Just choose the color option/design you want (there are 4 different ones included), print those pages onto cardstock, cut, and hang!
Download your free banner here:
C – Thirty Thankful Thoughts
Let’s finish out our weekly TLC with some journaling prompts.
I would always have my students write in a daily gratitude journal during the month of November. When they came in each morning, they would find their prompt on the board and get right to it. They loved the writing and drawing and sharing that came with this activity.
Many of you may already keep your own daily gratitude journal, whether it’s an actual notebook or an app on your phone. Maybe journaling comes easy to you but you want to focus your thoughts a a little more OR maybe you need a place to start. Wherever you are with your journaling, I’ve got you.
Enter: Thirty Thankful Thoughts
Now, this is just to get your ideas going, and you can switch out the prompts as you choose. Even if you don’t physically write daily, take a moment to think about each prompt. What matters most is that we reflect on how full our lives truly are.
You can find a free printable version here:
With gratitude…
~S~
Teacher-Life-Coach 