In the Topeka Capital-Journal, Keishera Lately profiles a school where gratitude is part of the educational goal.
Incorporating themes of gratitude during the Thanksgiving season is how Maria Martinez helps build a classroom community with her fifth-grade students.
This year is Martinez’s fifth year teaching at Scott Dual Language Magnet Elementary School, 401 SE Market in Topeka. She said the most rewarding aspect of teaching is seeing her students excited to learn every day.
“And excited to have experiences, especially hands-on experiences. So, it’s so exciting for me to see that wonder because a lot of times you don’t get to see that in your normal life,” said Martinez. “Normal adults don’t see this many children in one day. I feel like I have the privilege of getting to work with kids and just getting to see the wonder in their eyes.”
Those hands-on experiences come with conversations and projects for the students to participate in.
“We talk about the attributes of being grateful and how that affects the people around you. We talk about how we are a family here and that’s part of our classroom rules,” said Martinez. “So, being grateful for whoever’s in the room with you. We talk a lot about that and even though not everybody celebrates, we do get the atmosphere of being grateful for the people around us.”
Christalina Estrella, speech pathologist at Scott, has been introducing Thanksgiving and gratitude-focused activities to the students as well. She said since starting her role in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has made it a priority to bring back positive, community-building experiences for the students.
Estrella has incorporated a gratitude tree that can be found in the main entrance of the elementary school. Students work with their bilingual peers to write about things they are thankful for, and those are then displayed on colored paper leaves on the tree.