It occurs to me at this season of giving thanks, that we in the education biz have a lot to be thankful for. We are in an industry that literally changes lives. Not everyone can say that.

Everyone can put a positive spin on what they do. A heating and air conditioning technician makes lives more comfortable. An auto mechanic helps people make it to work and back home safely to see their families. An attorney may help settle conflicts or write contracts that allow companies to work together. But educators, and by extension those of us in the education business, are there at pivotal times in the lives of young people to help guide, enlighten, edify, strengthen, sharpen, cajole, support, entertain and lead them. Time and time again, you hear stories about lives that have been undeniably changed for the better by educators. And we give them the tools to do it.

We live in a wonderful time in the history of education. Advances in technology and the study of neuroscience have made it possible for our learners to reach heights unimagined just a few years ago. Education is on the cusp of a new golden era. Not since the invention of the printing press has there been a time when education was so transformed.

For those of you that know me, I have been in the education media for many years, but I am now working with the Learning Counsel. I am very thankful for the opportunity this has given me to help literally millions of learners. The work that the Learning Counsel is doing guides school districts, charter organizations, independent schools and now schools of education to harness technology and deliver learning in a truly personalized way for the first time in history. It’s a process. Our organization works, boots on the ground, in 30 different locations across the country each year. Our Briefs, Whitepapers and Special Reports detail the processes education organizations need to work through the digital transformation in education. The work is challenging, exhilarating and exhausting. I especially love the aha moments when a superintendent or curriculum director understands the process from a new perspective and leaves one of our events on-fire with new ideas to bring back to his or her district.

I’d like to know what you are grateful for this Thanksgiving season. If you’d like to share, please drop me a line and let me know. In the meantime, we’ll keep plugging along, working to change the world of education. And my personal heartfelt thanks to you, the people who run the companies in the world of education. Your professionalism, dedication and passion make all the difference to learners everywhere.

About the Author

Charles Sosnik is an education journalist and editor and serves as Editor in Chief for the Learning Counsel. He uses his deep roots in the education community to add context to the education narrative. He is a frequent writer and columnist for some of the most influential media in education, including The Learning Counsel, NSBA Journal, edCircuit, EdNews Daily and EdTech Digest. Charles is unabashedly Southern and likes to say he is an editor by trade and Southern by the Grace of God.