a post of a post {of a post}

[This post is from my education blog, and it is based on a post I found on teachhub. I thought I'd include it here, all in the spirit of Thanksgiving, of course. If you can't tell, I have me some teaching on the brain!]

There is no greater, more challenging, far-reaching, life-altering, self-improving, immensely satisfying blessing in this life than the life-long process of gaining an education.

I was touched while reading this article, "12 Reasons to Be Thankful You are a Teacher."
Rather than focus on the hum-drum issues and controversies surrounding education, I thought I would join in the spirit of Thanksgiving and remind myself and others of the reasons we [plan to] devote ourselves to this profession. Here it goes.

12 Reasons to be Thankful for Education: 

1. There is no greater, more challenging, far-reaching, life-altering, self-improving, immensely satisfying blessing in this life than the life-long process of gaining an education. So that's an all-encompassing, completely true, reason number one.

2. It unites communities. And cities. And states and towns and countries. It brings entire villages together to work toward a common goal.

3. It challenges us. Sometimes just a little bit. Sometimes beyond belief. Usually in ways we never imagined.

4. It is never completely finished. What a blessing it is to realize we are never done learning. We may wear the graduation cap, say all the right things while receiving our diplomas, and walk out the door to the unexpected, but our educations are never complete. There is always something out there waiting for our minds to catch on. Always something new waiting to be learned.

5. It's nearly impossible to fail at learning. Sure you can fail a paper, a test, a final, even. But ultimately, you cannot fail at learning. It is always possible for everyone. A God-given right for all humankind.

6. Education equals freedom. Freedom from small-mindedness, freedom from ignorance, freedom to explore. {Maybe even freedom from financial burdens, someday.}

7. Education knows no limits.

8. It provides opportunities. Great big, endless ones. The kind that, when embraced, go on forever.

9. Education allows us all to be teachers and students. We can be both anytime, anywhere. There is no reason to be one or the other. Teach, learn, teach, learn. The cycle will go on forever.

10. Our country provides it for free. In fact, it requires it. It encourages it. It believes in it.

11. It reminds us of our human responsibilities. We learn from history so as not to repeat it. {Or maybe to repeat some of it...?} We learn from science how to treat our mother earth with tender loving care. We learn from English to show compassion, to move forward, to think deeply about one another and ourselves. We learn to be accountable by learning of our surroundings.

12. It connects us as humans. After all, we are what we know. Knowledge allows us to make connections to our families, friends, coworkers, classmates, colleagues, to the world. It builds upon itself and flourishes when treated with care.

Learn something. Be thankful for that something learned. We are truly blessed.