By Dr. Toby A. Travis, Head of School
A student can leave school thinking about the question answered incorrectly, the friendship that felt strained, or the assignment still waiting at home. Those concerns matter. But they may not tell the whole story of the day.
There may also have been a teacher who patiently explained something again, a classmate who offered encouragement, or a difficult concept that finally began to make sense.
Learning to recognize those gifts without dismissing the challenges is part of learning to thrive.
At Intermountain Christian School, our mission is to equip and inspire students to thrive in God’s world. That involves academic preparation, certainly. It also involves helping students develop the habits and character to approach life with faith, resilience, and concern for others.
This Thanksgiving, I invite our ICS community to consider one of those habits: gratitude. Not simply saying “thank you” because someone reminds us, but learning to notice, appreciate, and respond to the good we receive.
More Than a Thanksgiving Tradition
Research offers encouraging reasons to take gratitude seriously.
A 2025 analysis of 145 studies involving nearly 25,000 participants across 28 countries found that gratitude practices produced small but meaningful improvements in well-being. The benefits varied, but the overall finding supports an important distinction: gratitude is not merely something happy people express. Practicing gratitude can contribute to greater well-being. PubMed Central (PMC)
There is also research specifically involving students. In an experimental study of 221 middle school students, Jeffrey Froh and his colleagues found that counting blessings was associated with greater optimism, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with school. The school-satisfaction finding remained evident at a three-week follow-up. DOI
These findings do not mean a gratitude journal guarantees better grades. They do suggest that how students learn to notice and interpret their experiences deserves our attention alongside what they learn.
A student’s education should prepare them to recognize opportunities, receive help, and contribute to others - not simply complete assignments.
The Adults in the Story Matter
Parents and teachers have an important part in that preparation. So do I.
A 2021 study involving 70 teachers and 1,537 ninth-grade mathematics students found that teacher enthusiasm and student engagement varied together across lessons. This was not a gratitude study, and it did not establish that a positive attitude alone improves achievement. It does reinforce that teaching and learning involve shared emotional experiences, not merely the delivery of information. ScienceDirect
School leadership research offers another relevant insight. In a qualitative study, school leaders reflected on keeping gratitude diaries and writing gratitude letters. They reported that these practices helped them recognize positive experiences alongside problems and encouraged investment in professional relationships. Cambridge University Press
As Head of School, I find that personally challenging. My responsibilities require attention to what needs improvement. But I never want the people serving our students to wonder whether their contributions are noticed only when something goes wrong.
The same question belongs in our classrooms and homes: Are we as intentional about recognizing growth as we are about identifying problems?
Gratitude should never replace accountability. Neither should accountability crowd out appreciation.
A Simple Practice: Notice, Name, Respond
We do not need another complicated program. Here is a practice our families and classrooms can try together.
Notice something specific. Look beyond whether the day was “good” or “bad.” What became clearer? Who offered help? Where did someone demonstrate patience, courage, or kindness?
Parents, consider asking at dinner or during the drive home: “What was difficult today, and who helped you?” That question makes room for both honest struggle and appreciation. Listen before offering a lesson. A child should never hear “be grateful” as another way of saying “stop telling me what hurts.”
Name why it mattered. Specific appreciation communicates more than a general compliment.
Teachers, consider the difference between “Good job” and “You were frustrated, but you asked a question and tried another approach. I appreciate your perseverance.” We can recognize thoughtful questions, honest effort, and kindness - not only high scores.
Students, you can be equally specific: “Thank you for explaining that again. I was embarrassed to ask, but your help made a difference.”
Respond with words and action. Write the note. Offer the thanks. Care for the materials someone provided. Include the classmate who needs a friend.
Parents can model this by expressing sincere appreciation for teachers and school staff while still addressing concerns respectfully. Teachers can model it by thanking students for their contributions. Students can practice it with classmates, coaches, siblings, and parents.
The goal is not to perform thankfulness for an audience. It is to become more attentive to others.
Gratitude as Christian Formation
For our ICS community, gratitude has a foundation deeper than its potential benefits.
Paul instructs believers to “give thanks in all circumstances” in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Notice the surrounding instructions: encourage the discouraged, help the weak, and practice patience. Thanksgiving belongs within a community that actively cares for people. It is not permission to overlook their difficulties.
We can acknowledge disappointment and still thank God for His presence. We can grieve and receive the kindness of others. We can work to correct a problem without treating every person involved as a problem.
In Christian education, we want students to recognize their abilities, relationships, and opportunities as gifts to steward. The response to receiving help is not merely feeling fortunate. It includes becoming willing to help someone else.
Our “All In” theme offers a practical invitation here: bring gratitude into how we learn, how we speak, and how we serve.
Our Thanksgiving Challenge
For the next seven days, I invite each ICS student, parent, faculty and staff to take a few minutes daily to notice one gift, thank God for it, and express specific appreciation to someone.
A younger child might draw a picture. A teenager might send a thoughtful message. A parent might write a teacher. A teacher might recognize a student’s quiet contribution.
No one needs to manufacture a perfect day.
My hope is that our students increasingly recognize this: “I have challenges, but I also have help. I have received kindness, and I can offer it.”
That is a worthwhile lesson to carry beyond Thanksgiving.
Let’s help our students recognize the good they receive - and discover the good they can do.
And, parents, the best new families come to ICS from your referrals. Thank you for telling other families about ICS!
© 2026 Toby A. Travis, Ed.D.
Research and editorial assistance: Generative AI assisted with research review and drafting. The author is responsible for final review, interpretation, and approval.
