Find Your Reason for the Season: 10 Tips for Gratitude, Giving, and Growth
Find Your Reason for the Season: 10 Tips for Gratitude, Giving, and Growth
By Scott B. Freiberger
Mother Theresa commented, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” In education today, this truth rings louder than any hallway buzzer or holiday bell. Teachers may not always change the entire world in one sweeping gesture, but every day they change someone’s world with small acts of care, compassion, and courage. As the season of frolicking and fun with both family and friends arrives, it’s worth pausing to ask ourselves: What is my reason for the season?
1. Find your Foundational Flame: Pursue Passion and Purpose
Teaching is not only a profession but it’s also a purpose and a passion that necessitates persistence. Educators don’t simply delve into discussions or deliver lengthy lessons, they shape stories, spark curiosity, and strengthen learning communities. Yet amid the whirlwind of grading, planning, and preparing, it’s easy to lose sight of the deeper “why.” Finding your reason for the season means reconnecting with the foundational flame that fuels your work. Maybe it’s the joy of seeing a struggling reader finally decode a sentence. Maybe it’s the pride of watching a shy student share her or his voice in class. Or maybe it’s the quiet satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped a young person develop autonomy, confidence, and empathy.
2. Set the Stage for Seasonal Self-Reflection
The holidays invite us to slow down and reflect. For educators, this reflection can be powerful. Education reminds us that even in moments of pause, growth never stops. During the holidays, the lessons we share can extend far beyond classroom walls, shaping curiosity, kindness, and resilience in our communities. For educators, this season is a chance to see learning beyond academics; it can be a gift that nurtures hearts and minds alike. Take the time to consider these three quintessential questions:
• What motivates me most, is it mastery, mentorship, or making memories?
• Where do I see growth, in grades, grit, or gratitude?
• How do I measure success, by scores, smiles, or stories?
This reflection is about embracing progress, finding purpose, and gaining perspective. When teachers reconnect with their deepest goals, they rediscover the joy that first inspired them to step into education. In those moments of clarity, teaching feels less like a job and more like a calling. With that renewed energy, educators can carry hope and inspiration into every classroom they connect with.
3. The Reason, the Rhyme, and the Reminder: Students at the Center
At the heart of every classroom are the students. They are the reason, the rhythm, and the reminder of why education matters. Each learner brings unique strengths, struggles, and stories. Recognizing this diversity is essential to creating inclusive environments where every child feels heard, seen, and valued. For those who want to make a tangible difference, organizations like Donors Choose allow you to support classroom projects directly. Fund books for a budding reader or secure science kits for a curious explorer. These contributions can remind educators that they have support in their classrooms and are not alone in their mission.
4. Cultivate Community Connections
Education thrives when schools build community connections, cultivate collaboration, and celebrate culture. Parents, mentors, and local leaders all play a role in shaping students’ schooling scenarios. Consider volunteering with groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters, where mentorship can transform a child’s trajectory. Or, explore opportunities with Teach For America, which places passionate people in classrooms across the country to address educational inequity. These options remind us that education is strongest when it extends beyond the classroom and becomes a shared responsibility.
5. Embrace Innovation and Inspiration
The season is also a time to embrace innovation and inspiration. Technology has transformed teaching, offering tools that make learning more accessible and interactive. From gamified apps to virtual reality field trips, educators can harness these innovations to ignite imagination. However, innovation is not only about gadgets, it’s also about creative curriculum, courageous conversations, and compassionate care. When teachers innovate with empathy, they inspire students to see learning as a lifelong adventure.
6. Gratitude, Giving, and Growth
Growth is the goal of education, but gratitude sustains it. Teachers who practice gratitude for their communities, colleagues, and students cultivate resilience. In addition, giving, whether of time, talent, or treasure, reinforces this cycle of support. For those looking to give back, Scholarship America provides pathways for students to access higher education. Supporting scholarships ensures that financial barriers don’t block bright futures.
7. Burnout is Real: Bring Balance and Belonging
Remember to SEL Yourself. The holiday season reminds educators to seek balance and belonging. Teaching can be demanding, and burnout is real. Finding balance means setting boundaries, practicing self-care, and celebrating small wins. Belonging means building classrooms where every student feels seen, heard, and respected. Organizations like Communities In Schools work to surround students with a network of support, ensuring they stay in school and succeed in life. Partnering with such initiatives strengthens the sense of belonging for both students and educators.
8. Alliteration as Affirmation
Sometimes, language itself can be a source of motivation. Consider these affirmations:
• Teach with tenacity, trust, and tenderness.
• Lead with love, laughter, and learning.
• Serve with strength, spirit, and sincerity.
These alliterations are not only wordplay, but they are also anchors of action. They remind us that education is both art and science, requiring heart as much as head. They give rhythm to our reflections and make the lessons we carry easier to remember. In this way, language itself becomes a tool for inspiration, guiding us toward the kind of learning that lasts.
9. Find Your Reason for the Season
So, what is your reason for the season? Perhaps it is:
• Students’ smiles when they grasp new concepts.
• Parents’ pride when they see progress.
• Colleagues’ camaraderie when they collaborate.
• Community confidence when schools succeed.
Whatever your reason, let it guide your goals, ground your gratitude, and grow your giving. Education is really about reflecting and refining while preparing students for the future. During this season of reflection, we are reminded that the future is shaped by the choices we make today.
10. Support for Students this Holiday Season
If you want to make a difference in the lives of students this season, consider:
• Supporting classroom projects through Donors Choose.
• Mentoring youth with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
• Advocating for equity with Teach For America.
• Funding scholarships via Scholarship America.
• Partnering with Communities In Schools.
Each link is a pathway to purpose, a chance to align your actions with your aspirations. Education is the thread that ties these moments together, reminding us that growth is a gift we carry into every season. During the holidays, learning invites us to pause, reflect, and see how far we’ve come while inspiring us to keep reaching higher. It’s in these quiet, joyful pauses that we realize education isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about shaping the lives we dream for our students to live.
Inspire, Invest, and Impact
Remember the power of kindness in education and that a warm morning greeting can change someone’s entire day. I will forever be grateful to my youngest brother Todd “Fantastic,” who lived life the way most of us can only dream, full of adventure, joy, kindness, and an unrelenting desire to leave the world better than he found it. Todd believed that learning was not only something to be done in classrooms or on paper, but it was also a lifelong pursuit, an attitude, and a way of being. He embraced the world with open arms, eager to share what he learned and inspire others to do the same. What we can all learn from Todd is that education is not confined to books or classrooms, it is a way of living with curiosity, generosity, and openness. His example reminds us that true wisdom comes from embracing adventure, showing kindness, and striving to leave every space better than we found it. By carrying Todd’s spirit forward, we honor him not only through memory but by living with the same courage and joy that defined his life.
Education is more than instruction, it is inspiration, investment, and impact. As the season unfolds, find your reason, whether it’s your students’ success, a community celebration, or a personal sense of purpose. Let that reason renew your resolve and remind you why you chose this profoundly purposeful profession. Teach with tenacity, lead with love, and serve with sincerity. This season, may we all find our passion, tap into persistence, and renew our purpose as we continue to make a difference in the lives of students everywhere.
BIO
Scott Freiberger is an attentive administrator
and a passionate pedagogue who advocates for all students, especially ELLs/MLLs
and students with special needs. Follow him on Twitter/X: @scottfreiberger
