Over four hundred years ago roughly 100 men, women, and children board the Mayflower and sail to the New World! They left England to seek a different life that allowed religious freedom. Those that remained behind faced the penalty of being thrown in jail by order of the King. These travelers, later referred to as Pilgrims, arrived in Plymouth on December 11, 1620 after a six-week journey. The Pilgrims encountered many challenges in their new land as the winter was both long and cold. Fortunately for them, the Native Americans came to their aid providing food, seeds, and teaching them survival skills required to endure their unfamiliar environment. Tragically many of the Pilgrims passed away, but the remaining survivors prepared crops that were ready for harvest by the following autumn harvest. In celebration of their accomplishments, due to their acquired skills and resources, the Pilgrims prepared a feast of thanksgiving. Captain Miles Standish, the Pilgrim leader, invited the Native Americans who helped them the previous year to the three-day feast. The meal was lavish featuring an array of items including wild turkey and cranberries. This “First Thanksgiving” became a tradition celebrated in the United States and was made a National Holiday in 1941 by President Franklin Roosevelt. Over the years, this tradition served as an opportunity for families across the nation to gather, feast, and display gratitude for each other, friends, and others in the community.
Over time, more settlers from Europe began to arrive. Some of them were not permitted to own land in Europe so they came with intentions of claiming land and harvesting its resources. The sought-after land was however inhabited by Native Americans. Hostility arose towards the Native Americans from many settlers, and they began to be portrayed as savages that had to be extinguished in the name of Christianity and civilization. Even though it was the Native Americans that made it possible for the original Pilgrims to survive and endure their unfamiliar climate and land, they were sadly met with aggression, massacres, war, and removal. The appreciation and gratitude that was once expressed from the Settlers sadly transitioned into complete carnage.
Could there have been a symbiotic civilization where each group learned from each other’s differences? Maybe the group of settlers that escaped religious persecution could have shown more empathy towards the same body of individuals that supported them in their darkest hour. The outcome we may never know, however history is known to repeat itself so these thought-provoking will add value towards our future actions. As millions gather around their Thanksgiving tables, as Educators, take the time to reflect on everything that you are grateful for. As cliché as it could potentially sound, think about all the wonderful opportunities that you have despite what challenges or short-comings that you personally faced. Imagine if all or even a portion of what you a thankful for simply did not exist the following morning after drifting off to sleep in your warm comfortable bed. Many of the things, which are not all physical items, that we obtain and take for granted are absent the lives of many of our students. A 2018 Population Reference Bureau report stated that over 20% of all students live on or below the poverty line in the United States and that percentage could include additional kids that have been excluded from the report due to specific criteria. There is a definite correlation between impoverished students and poor academic performance, but with the guidance of a great teacher the expected outcomes can be surpassed. We salute you Educators for answering the call and serving on the front lines in schools across this great nation, and we implore you to use a portion of your holiday break to re-calibrate. Upon your return to your schools and classrooms harness you sense of gratitude to empower yourself when it’s needed with your students. Some students we know make it challenging, however when you not only “utter the words, but live by them” in regards of your personal philosophy of teaching and school achievement goals is when you truly inherit the title of being a Next Level Educator!
The Jeremy Anderson Group