Flattery and Thankfulness

We've been talking about Thanksgiving in my classes this week.

"I'm thankful for my teacher," Will said. I rolled my eyes. My students have been saying this all week – and okay, it probably is true – but as an American, that is something I'm uncomfortable with accepting in class. It seems somewhere between a cop out and trying to earn brownie points.

"My English teacher," he clarified.

"Thanks Will," I said, rolling my eyes some more.

"My American English teacher." I guess he wanted to make sure that I got the point.

I decided that maybe ignoring him was a good idea. He sits smack in front of my podium – his desk is shoved up against it – so we've sort of gotten to know each other better these past few weeks.

"My beautiful American English teacher!" he proclaimed.

I picked up my (full) water bottle. "Seriously, Will, someday..."

When we were doing micro-teaching back in Beijing, I threatened to throw Oliver out the window, which probably distressed whoever was grading my classroom management skills.

I feel like Oliver and Will might be great friends.

"I'm thankful that you are in my class," I said to Will later, because I am. I enjoy laughing, particularly in that class. "I'm thankful that you are speaking English."

"I like to speak English!" he declared, which I had my doubts about. "I like it because I like my English teacher!"

Sometimes I don't know if I should laugh or bang my head against my podium.

So... I'm thankful for... flattery?

Seriously though, I am thankful for having students who make me laugh in the middle of classes that are full of bleh, and I am thankful for the way that relationships form in the strangest of ways. I don't think Will had ever listened to me until I laughed at him banging his head because he was goofing around instead of paying attention.

I am thankful for laughter.