The good teacher, the good coach, and the good parent make the network that supports the growing child. As parents, we want our kids to express thankfulness. Being thankful is on my mind even more as we approach the month of Thanksgiving. We must highlight the parable of goodness in our teachers and coaches.

We should celebrate them with letters of thanks and a simple verbal thank you. The verbal thanks can get lost in our busy lives. We can’t forget to tell these wonderful coaches and teachers we are so thankful for what they do for our kids. We need to thank them for helping our children see that a failure doesn’t have to stay a failure, but it is a stepping stone down the path to success. 

I see so many sad stories in the media, but when I see a story that brings tears of happiness to my eyes I want to stay in that moment and just love it. I stumbled upon this video of kids surprising their teachers and coaches with a thank you captured on video (SoulPancake with California Casualty video). The video brought tears to my eyes as I watched the teachers dry their eyes as the kids expressed their thanks.

I agree with those kids. I want to thank and highlight the good teachers and coaches in my kids’ lives too.

When a teacher, a coach, and a parent support a child, that child has a perfect network to grow, make mistakes, and learn. I’ve seen how such a network can be powerful and effective for a child.

In my own child’s parent-teacher conference I’ve felt this perfect network as a teacher spoke so full of heart about my child that it brought tears to my eyes. I realized this teacher really understood my child; this teacher really cared about my child and wanted to help him. This teacher didn’t just see only the failings in my child, but she sang the triumphs of my child no matter how small or big they were. As she spoke in the conference I knew she wouldn’t give up on my child. I was so thankful he had her for a teacher.

I felt our partnership, parent and teacher, in that moment. I knew she would strive right alongside me to guide my child to be the best person he can be. She too was cheering him on. She would forgive his inevitable mistakes just as I do as his mom. She could label him as a work in progress rather than a problem. With her support my child was flourishing in her classroom. I can’t thank her enough.

The good coach gives positive rewards and encouragement. He urges my child to be the best player he can be. The coach knows my son will make mistakes and he gives my son a chance again in the future to get it right. The coach doesn’t write my child off and dismiss him, he knows his mistake is only a level of learning. This coach’s support is valued more than he will know because he supports the kids in their struggles and their successes. He might like to win, but he likes to teach and guide more.

Recently my son played in a football game where the other team was angry and unnecessarily aggressive. The other team members lashed out at my son’s football team resulting in ten personal foul penalties from aggressive acts. My son’s coach doesn’t teach the boys to cheat or strike out at other players with personal fouls, rather he teaches them to play fair football. He teaches them not to stoop to the level of poor sportsmanship. I can’t thank him enough because he is teaching my child not just about the sport, but he’s teaching him how to be a good person. I can’t thank him enough.

There are so many bad stories circulating out there in our world that we need to highlight the praises of teachers and coaches. They unconditionally give their love, instruction, guidance, and perseverance to our kids. They give of their time, their hearts, and their patience to help our kids.

As a parent, I know this priceless network of the gifts of forgiveness, instruction, support, and discipline from my son’s teachers and coaches will help my child grow. For that I can’t thank all the teachers and coaches enough.

We need to hear more of these great stories like the SoulPancake video of teachers and coaches guiding kids to become good people. Let’s look for these stories, these parables, and highlight them, love them. This month of November and Thanksgiving, let’s show our teachers and coaches some thankfulness by giving a letter, a simple thank you, or a homemade card made by your child. I just know the teachers and coaches will treasure it and the child will learn the best parable of all, to give thanks.