By Mark

I'm sitting here waiting for the turkey to reach 165F so I can load it into the car and rush it across town to the three-dozen waiting family members at our multi-bird feast this evening.

In these few moments, as hokey and cliche as it may seem, it is worth taking a few moments to reflect on what I appreciate about this business I'm in.

First, I am thankful to live in a state where with each new policy decision, teachers' voices are louder and more respected by policymakers. This is due completely to the diligent efforts of the teacher-leaders at CSTP (The nonprofit Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession, sponsor of this site) and Washington's OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) who proactively seek ways for teacher voices to be heard at the decision-making table–with CSTP being the force which helps remind OSPI of the need for teacher voices.

Second and even more important, I am thankful for those fellow teachers who have made their voices heard at those policy tables and in front of the legislature. 

Last, I am thankful for the thanks I get as an educator. Just last week, as the culmination of a tough unit on poetry with my Sophomores, students memorized and recited poems aloud as part of my poetry curriculum, with the assessment being the non-verbal channels of communication–tone of voice, power of expression, and stage presence. I sat in awe as sixty fifteen- and sixteen-year olds tackled voices from Keats to Komunyakaa and Sexton to Sanchez. They worked so hard, and they truly embodied the words in a way which gave me chills and proved to me that they really got it. I am thankful that I am in a job that can warm my heart and give me chills.

Enjoy the season, SFS readers, and thanks for checking in now and again.