November 26, 2025 • 6 mins
As we head into a much-deserved break, we're bringing you a special bonus listen! We pause our usual actionable advice for a moment of deep reflection on why the simple act of gratitude is the single most powerful, yet often overlooked, tool for strengthening your team and restoring your own energy. This episode is a vital conversation about viewing appreciation not just as a kindness, but as a strategic daily practice. Learn the difference between fleeting, generic thanks and specific, memorable acknowledgment, and how these small acts can transform a job into a mission. We discuss tangible steps, like the power of a handwritten note, and why the most critical person to thank is often yourself. As educator leaders, resilience is key—and as Brene Brown reminds us, "Joy collected over time fuels resilience." Gratitude is how we collect that joy. Take this holiday to recharge and return knowing the tremendous value you bring is deeply appreciated.
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Thank You for Listening!This has been an episode from The Edify Network—Where the Whole Education Community Listens and Learns. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.Want to keep the conversation going?
Enjoy this bonus episode from a different show! Visit awbeducation.org for more resources and grundmeyerleadersearch.com for opportunities.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-edify-network-insights-for-every-education-stakeholder--6630377/support.
Thank You for Listening!This has been an episode from The Edify Network—Where the Whole Education Community Listens and Learns. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.Want to keep the conversation going?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to your Morning Boost, brought to you by AWB Education.
Here we amplify knowledge, widen reach, and broaden impact in education,
delivering your daily dose of professional development. This program is
sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services, where together we are transforming education,
one leader at a time. Now, get ready to amplify
(00:25):
your day with your Morning Boost.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello Enna, very warm, welcome to you on your Morning Boost.
Happy Wednesday, everybody, and as we approach a much deserved break,
we're going to pause our usual actionable advice for a
moment of reflection and deep appreciation. So I wish you
a happy and RESTful day and many more to come.
Now today, with the holiday coming tomorrow, we're dedicating this
(00:52):
entire episode to the often overlooked yet vitally important practice
of giving thanks. We're going to talk about this simple
act of gratitude and how it can be the single
most powerful tool in your daily practice, helping strengthen your
team and restoring your own energy. So today we're not
(01:14):
talking about a new initiative or a difficult conversation. Instead,
we are talking about the fundamental human act of gratitude.
As educators, we are often the last person to receive thanks.
And the first person to shoulder a burden, and many
times often unseen. But this week I urge you to
make a conscious and strategic effort to pause and genuinely
(01:36):
give thanks. The simple truth in my experience, anyway, is
that genuine, specific appreciation is the fuel that keeps the
entire school engine running. It transforms a job into a mission,
and a team into a community. So my first piece
of advice here is to view gratitude as a daily practice.
Because it's easy to focus on what's broken, the budget,
(01:59):
the challengeing student, a gap in our curriculum. But I
believe that effective practice requires us to actively look for
what's going right, publicly acknowledging a colleague who shared an
incredible lesson plan. Maybe's acknowledging a staff member who ensures
the building as pristine, or a parent who volunteered their time.
(02:20):
It's this is not just being nice. It's a powerful
way to build a positive school culture. I know a
fourth grade teacher, for example, who makes it a personal
practice to write one positive note to a colleague, a student,
or a parent every afternoon. Not an email, but a quick,
specific note that she sends out through the mail. Over time.
(02:41):
These small acts have fostered a reputation of incredible positivity
around her, and really it has directly impacted the mood
of her classroom and her grade level team. Another idea
here is to remember the power of specificity. Generic thanks
they're okay, but they're really kind of fleeting. Specific thanks
are remembered. So don't just say good job. Say something
(03:04):
like thank you for redesigning that history unit, or you know,
the way you incorporated primary sources here. Clearly engage the
students and the growth and their test scores reflects your
incredible effort. Things like that really help us bring value
to the work that we're doing, and not just to
they said thanks because they probably had to. Lastly, here,
(03:27):
remember to thank yourself. The most critical person to thank
is often the one that looks right back at you
in the mirror. I know you work tirelessly, you're navigating
complex curricula, you're committing to the incredible necessary service that
you provide your students and your families. So take this
holiday to truly acknowledge your own hard work and the
(03:50):
dedication you bring to your classroom every single day. As
author Brene Brown reminds us in her work on vulnerability
and leadership. She said, as joy collected over time fuels resilience,
ensuring we have the emotional fuel to pull us through
the hard times. Gratitude truly is the primary way that
(04:12):
we collect joy. Give thanks, and you restore your own
resilience and the spirit of your entire school. All right, Boosters,
The message today is simple, but I honestly feel it
is profound. Strategic gratitude is essential for a sustainable career
(04:32):
in education. I encourage you to use the practice of
giving thanks to acknowledge the specific vital contributions of every
person in your building, from your students, to your colleagues,
to your custodians, everybody, and be specific in your appreciation.
Make it meaningful and make it memorable. And most importantly,
(04:55):
use this downtime thank yourself for your relentless dedication to
a very demanding but yet noble profession. Take this time off,
turn off the work emails, rest recharge in your return,
knowing that the tremendous value you bring to your school
is deeply appreciated. Thank you, Boosters. Thank you from AWB
(05:18):
Education for all of the amazing work you do. We
really cannot truly do this without the work of our educators.
Enjoy the holiday week, everybody. Thank you for listening. We'll
talk with you again next week.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
That concludes another episode of Your Morning Boost. We hope
today's daily dose of professional development helps you amplify knowledge,
widen reach, and broaden impact. Your Morning Boost is an
AWB Education production brought to you with the generous support
of Grundmeyer Leader Services. Join us again tomorrow for more.
(05:53):
Until then, keep boosting your impact.
Welcome to your Morning Boost, brought to you by AWB Education.
Here we amplify knowledge, widen reach, and broaden impact in education,
delivering your daily dose of professional development. This program is
sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services, where together we are transforming education,
one leader at a time. Now, get ready to amplify
(00:25):
your day with your Morning Boost.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello Enna, very warm, welcome to you on your Morning Boost.
Happy Wednesday, everybody, and as we approach a much deserved break,
we're going to pause our usual actionable advice for a
moment of reflection and deep appreciation. So I wish you
a happy and RESTful day and many more to come.
Now today, with the holiday coming tomorrow, we're dedicating this
(00:52):
entire episode to the often overlooked yet vitally important practice
of giving thanks. We're going to talk about this simple
act of gratitude and how it can be the single
most powerful tool in your daily practice, helping strengthen your
team and restoring your own energy. So today we're not
(01:14):
talking about a new initiative or a difficult conversation. Instead,
we are talking about the fundamental human act of gratitude.
As educators, we are often the last person to receive thanks.
And the first person to shoulder a burden, and many
times often unseen. But this week I urge you to
make a conscious and strategic effort to pause and genuinely
(01:36):
give thanks. The simple truth in my experience, anyway, is
that genuine, specific appreciation is the fuel that keeps the
entire school engine running. It transforms a job into a mission,
and a team into a community. So my first piece
of advice here is to view gratitude as a daily practice.
Because it's easy to focus on what's broken, the budget,
(01:59):
the challengeing student, a gap in our curriculum. But I
believe that effective practice requires us to actively look for
what's going right, publicly acknowledging a colleague who shared an
incredible lesson plan. Maybe's acknowledging a staff member who ensures
the building as pristine, or a parent who volunteered their time.
(02:20):
It's this is not just being nice. It's a powerful
way to build a positive school culture. I know a
fourth grade teacher, for example, who makes it a personal
practice to write one positive note to a colleague, a student,
or a parent every afternoon. Not an email, but a quick,
specific note that she sends out through the mail. Over time.
(02:41):
These small acts have fostered a reputation of incredible positivity
around her, and really it has directly impacted the mood
of her classroom and her grade level team. Another idea
here is to remember the power of specificity. Generic thanks
they're okay, but they're really kind of fleeting. Specific thanks
are remembered. So don't just say good job. Say something
(03:04):
like thank you for redesigning that history unit, or you know,
the way you incorporated primary sources here. Clearly engage the
students and the growth and their test scores reflects your
incredible effort. Things like that really help us bring value
to the work that we're doing, and not just to
they said thanks because they probably had to. Lastly, here,
(03:27):
remember to thank yourself. The most critical person to thank
is often the one that looks right back at you
in the mirror. I know you work tirelessly, you're navigating
complex curricula, you're committing to the incredible necessary service that
you provide your students and your families. So take this
holiday to truly acknowledge your own hard work and the
(03:50):
dedication you bring to your classroom every single day. As
author Brene Brown reminds us in her work on vulnerability
and leadership. She said, as joy collected over time fuels resilience,
ensuring we have the emotional fuel to pull us through
the hard times. Gratitude truly is the primary way that
(04:12):
we collect joy. Give thanks, and you restore your own
resilience and the spirit of your entire school. All right, Boosters,
The message today is simple, but I honestly feel it
is profound. Strategic gratitude is essential for a sustainable career
(04:32):
in education. I encourage you to use the practice of
giving thanks to acknowledge the specific vital contributions of every
person in your building, from your students, to your colleagues,
to your custodians, everybody, and be specific in your appreciation.
Make it meaningful and make it memorable. And most importantly,
(04:55):
use this downtime thank yourself for your relentless dedication to
a very demanding but yet noble profession. Take this time off,
turn off the work emails, rest recharge in your return,
knowing that the tremendous value you bring to your school
is deeply appreciated. Thank you, Boosters. Thank you from AWB
(05:18):
Education for all of the amazing work you do. We
really cannot truly do this without the work of our educators.
Enjoy the holiday week, everybody. Thank you for listening. We'll
talk with you again next week.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
That concludes another episode of Your Morning Boost. We hope
today's daily dose of professional development helps you amplify knowledge,
widen reach, and broaden impact. Your Morning Boost is an
AWB Education production brought to you with the generous support
of Grundmeyer Leader Services. Join us again tomorrow for more.
(05:53):
Until then, keep boosting your impact.
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