All I Want For Christmas Is...

This being Christmas Eve, I have been reflecting on the past year and what I am hoping for on Christmas morning. While what I really want definitely won't be under the tree (a full-time teaching job), I have already received so many gifts this year. I had a nice, long-term subbing position in a good school. And I just found out I will have another long-term come April! That was a nice Christmas surprise. This one will be in second grade at a school I had three long-terms in last year.

But the most amazing gift so far is this blog and all the followers and fans I reach (and hopefully help a little). This was a dream I didn't even know I had. I was looking for something to do on days when I didn't sub, and on the urging of my little brother, I looked to blogging. I happened into an amazing group of other blogging teachers through a friend, and Sub Hub was born.

I have really been lamenting over the fact that I was "just a sub" for a few years now since I have been on an unsuccessful quest for a full-time job. But this past summer, I chose to look at things in a new light. By golly, I am NOT "just a sub"! I am sub in-demand who makes a difference in the classrooms I enter. And, judging by the number of fans Sub Hub has and the positive comments I get, I also make a difference through the blog. And let me tell you, that is the best gift I could ever get!

So, while it would be nice to open something sparkly or electronic on Christmas morning, I am thankful for the many wonderful gifts I already have: long-term sub positions, the Sub Hub blog, amazing fans and followers, a new group of online friends with common interests and challenges, and (of course) my family and other friends as well.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to each and every one of you! You mean more to me than you can ever know. So, while what I really want won't be under the tree tomorrow, I really can't complain at all. In fact, I am counting my gifts each and every one.