Educators (and Everyone) Should Give Thanks

Thanksgiving means several things.

Lots of birds die.

Gas prices rise because everyone is driving.

Summer is gone and it's not coming back.

The local news predicts terrible weather so you will tune in to their station (I think they cross their fingers for the year's first horrific storm).

Football is on and the Detroit Lions are still bad.

Football is on and stuffing is still bad. Don't email me and say it's great, because if it was, people would make it more than once a year.

Families get together and talk (although they should stay away from the following topics: politics, race, religion, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, Dancing With the Stars, American Idol's new judges, TSA and especially gas prices).

If your family has at least one educator (most have more... and some have a lot more) you shouldn't speak of the things they aren't thankful for: NCLB, testing, lack of funds, more paperwork, high-maintenance parents, not enough technology, under-performing schools, meetings, government's unrealistic expectations and school food.

What all of you should talk about is kids.

We should all be thankful for them.

The next generation (and every one after that) has the opportunity to be our best generation (if adults don't mess them up).

If you haven't noticed the kids today aren't terrible malcontents; they are smart.

Really smart.

Way smarter than we were at the same age (and very likely smarter than we are now).

They have the ability to do more (probably with less) than we ever did.

They will change things, which will make us old people nervous, but it will be for the better.

The world is in good hands and whether you are in education or not, you should be thankful for them.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

If you are a turkey, thank a vegetarian.