Attitude of Gratitude: More Than Just a Cute Rhyme

By: Mandi Andrejka

From journals to hashtags, “Attitude of Gratitude” is a concept that seems to be everywhere lately. With World Kindness Day happening just last week and Thanksgiving around the corner, the idea is especially relevant around this time of year.

But there’s more to Attitude of Gratitude than the fact that it’s fun to say. It stems from the very real idea that we move so fast through life, focusing on stressors and what’s going wrong, that we forget to take time to be present and feel thankful for what’s going right in our lives.

The point of Attitude of Gratitude is that the fourth Thursday of November isn’t the only day for expressing our thankfulness—it’s a year-round mindset. This is something that teachers especially have connected to, and by living Attitude of Gratitude every day themselves, they’re demonstrating to their students how to accomplish that both in and out of school.

Teachers have the crucial responsibility of shaping the lives of our future generations, and yet only 36% of teachers in the U.S. feel like their role is appreciated in our country. Considering the fact that educators spend their free time teaching themselves curriculum they weren’t trained for, paying out of pocket for their own classroom supplies, and working nearly double the hours they’re paid for, this is a true shame.

We in the edtech world owe it to these rock stars to show them that not only do we hear them, we support them. There’s more we can focus on in our industry than just “shaking things up” with the new products and services. Some education organizations, such as 7 Mindsets, center not only their approach but their products and services on Attitude of Gratitude.

So, what can we as vendors, organizations, and leaders in the edtech world do to show our gratitude for teachers? Here are some ideas to get started!

• Take time to reach out to your customers individually. See how they like your product and what they could use help with or what else they’re looking for. Taking a couple minutes for a genuine conversation shows that you see them as a person rather than just another contact in your system.
  
  
• Teachers are powerful influencers in their schools, and edtech vendors can show teachers that we are valuable allies by offering an Attitude of Gratitude referral program. When you give teachers something as thanks for their business, they’ll feel appreciated and connected to you.
  
  
• Donate money or time to a charitable cause that’s important to teachers. Volunteering not only benefits teachers and schools, it’s a great way to build camaraderie among your team. By showing them that they can make a difference, you’ll remind them why we all got into edtech in the first place!

What other steps have you taken to demonstrate your Attitude of Gratitude for teachers? Share with us below! Next week, we’ll share what PRP’s Panachios are grateful for!

Thanks for sharing!