Thankful and Thoughtful: Engaging in the Thanksgiving Season
As the leaves turn golden and families start planning their Thanksgiving celebrations, it’s the perfect time to bring creativity and thanks into the virtual classroom. For students in an online school, the season offers endless opportunities to connect learning with reflection, kindness, and fun.
Thanksgiving is a reminder to pause, appreciate what we have, and find joy in learning and community. This year, students can blend gratitude with creativity through hands-on projects, writing activities, and family-centered lessons that make learning come alive.
Crafts, Creativity, and Cranberry Sauce
Holidays are a break from routine, which can make it difficult to keep your child on task between breaks. Rather than fight the holiday spirit, take advantage of the festive atmosphere - and our online flexibility - to take a creative approach to engagement.
Gratitude in Learning
Appreciating the positives helps students focus on what’s going well, even during challenges. This isn’t to say that their struggles should be discarded, but an important part of growth is understanding “what’s going well” alongside “what can be improved.” When learners take time to reflect on what they appreciate — supportive teachers, flexible schedules, their own perseverance and strengths — it builds confidence and a positive mindset. Here are some examples of what students can do to embody gratitude:
Sending a thank-you email or virtual card to a teacher who made a difference.
Writing a short message of appreciation to a classmate who helped with a project.
Taking a walk and noting all of the things you value in your community.
These simple acts go beyond academic intelligence, promoting emotional intelligence and empathy as they connect their experience with the community around them.
Building Thanks at Home
Families play a huge role in the holiday season. During Thanksgiving, you can turn reflection into a family tradition that lasts all year.
Try starting dinner with a “gratitude circle,” where everyone shares one thing they’re thankful for that day. Or create a Family Gratitude Jar — each person writes a thankful note once a week, and you read them together at the end of the month.
All of these activities can also be digital (which is an important consideration for a virtual school!). Families can create a shared online “Gratitude Board” on Google Drive or Canva where everyone posts images, quotes, or notes about what they appreciate most. It’s a meaningful way to stay connected, even when learning remotely.
Reflect and Reset: Goals for the Rest of the School Year
As the calendar year winds down, Thanksgiving gives students the perfect opportunity to pause and appreciate how far they’ve come. In the fast pace of online learning, it’s easy to move from one lesson to the next without reflecting on all that’s been learned. But taking time to recognize progress — big or small — can help students end the year with confidence and begin the next one feeling motivated.
Reflection is one of the most powerful ways to build a growth mindset. When students identify what they’re thankful for in their learning journey, they develop perspective, pride, and the energy to keep improving.
Celebrate Learning Milestones
Start by helping students look back at their favorite moments from the semester. Maybe they finally solved a tough math problem, finished a great book, or learned a new technology skill. Younger students might reflect on social milestones — like making a new friend in their virtual class or sharing their ideas more often during group projects.
Families can make this a fun conversation around the dinner table or during evening downtime. Ask questions like:
“What’s one thing you learned this fall that made you proud?”
“Who helped you succeed or made your school days brighter?”
“What’s something new you discovered about yourself while learning online?”
These moments of reflection help students see that growth isn’t just about grades — it’s about persistence, creativity, and curiosity.
Setting Goals
Once students have reflected on what they’re thankful for, encourage them to set Gratitude Goals for the rest of the school year. These are small, meaningful intentions rooted in appreciation.
For example:
“I’m thankful for my teacher’s support, so my goal is to ask for help when I need it.”
“I’m thankful for my classmates, so I’ll try to encourage others during group work.”
“I’m thankful for how far I’ve come in reading, so I’ll keep challenging myself with new books.”
By turning ideas into action, students build positive habits that support continued success. It’s a great way to blend emotional learning with academic growth — and it reinforces that thankfulness isn’t just a one-time feeling, but a lasting mindset.
Why Reflection Matters
Reflection is a powerful tool for lifelong learning. They help students shift from “I have to learn this” to “I can grow in tangible ways.” That mindset encourages students to celebrate their own growth, understand their learning journey, and appreciate the people who’ve guided their development — a mindset that serves students far beyond the classroom.
By pausing to appreciate growth and setting new goals, online learners can head into the rest of the school year feeling recharged, confident, and inspired to keep reaching for the stars.
Making Learning Meaningful
Regardless of what you celebrate, thoughtful, reflective activities help students connect academic skills to real-life values. When students write thank-you letters, calculate recipes, or collaborate on creative projects, they’re practicing communication, critical thinking, and empathy.
Learning, Creativity, and Giving Thanks
This Thanksgiving season, online learning opens the door to creativity, family connection, and heartfelt reflection. Whether students are writing journals, building turkeys out of cardboard, or sharing recipes from home, they’re learning lessons that last long beyond the holiday.
From all of us at Iowa Virtual School, we wish you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving.
