In this heartwarming episode, Christie shares one of the stories of how she knows she is making a difference. She also shares encouragement for the days when teachers fall short. For 21 years, Christie Thompson has loved teaching. She's a guidance counselor and teacher of the year for her school this year in Texas. As we continue to celebrate #LoveTeaching week, remember to share your story of why you love to teach. www.coolcatteacher.com/e628  Today’s sponsor: Advancement Courses. Choose from over 240 online graduate-level PD courses in 19 subject areas that are self-paced with up to six months to complete. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and save 20% off each course by using the code COOL20. That’s just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can also receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners for continuing education requirements. Never stop learning! Christie Thompson - Bio as Submitted Christie Thompson, School Counselor A native Arkansan, I relocated to Sherman, Texas, to begin my 20-year teaching career and was awarded New Secondary Teacher of the Year for the district. I then taught English in Plano ISD and earned my Master's degree in English from SMU. I was voted Dowell Campus Teacher of the Year in 2011 by my peers and served as a campus leader in various roles, including 504 and RTI Coordinator. My transition into the field of counseling was fueled by my passion for advocating for and building relationships with students. I have a special interest in biblio counseling because I love harnessing the power of literature and its insight into the human experience. Well-written books help increase students’ self-awareness and self-esteem, build empathy, and aid in students' ability to face developmental crises. I am joining the Bennett family after serving Faubion Middle School as a school counselor for the last year and a half. At Faubion, I was able to make a positive impact and help remove barriers to students’ academic success. My mission is to provide a proactive, comprehensive, and developmentally appropriate program so that students leave Bennett ready to launch into their individual journeys to become successful, productive citizens and lifelong learners in a diverse and changing world. My husband, Julius, and I are the proud parents of two: Samantha (22) - a Davidson College '19 graduate and Jay (16) - a sophomore at McKinney Boyd High School. Blog: https://mrsthompsonliveskind.weebly.com/about-me.html Twitter: https://twitter.com/thompsliveskind Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."