Jen McDonough
April 22, 2011
I was getting my five year old ready for school a while back and he turned to me and said, "Mom, today I want to wear my brown shoes because Mrs. Garrettson (his teacher) notices when we wear new shoes!"
That one simple statement has stuck with me since. Not only am I grateful to my son's teacher who is obviously so in tune with Will and all of the kids in her class, but it also made me think about myself as a teacher. Every morning as I drive to work I find myself asking the question, "Am I the kind of teacher that notices new shoes?" Obviously, the shoes are just the metaphor, the question really is...am I connected enough to the kids that I teach? Do I notice when something is off with them? Do I notice when something about them has changed for the better?
As teachers we have so much on our plates: curriculum to cover, parents to appease, forms to fill out, emails to be answered, field trips to plan and...oh that's right, there are those kids that join us everyday in all that craziness. It is important to stop sometimes and be in the moment. To look a child in they eye when they are talking to you instead of uh-humming as you half listen and grab materials for the next lesson at the same time.
Joan and Gail wrote a while back about a teacher that gives her children post-it notes as they walk through the door every Monday to jot down something they did over the weekend so she can chat with them quickly and connect before the week begins. What a great way to stop and be in the moment. Some other ways to stop and connect with the kids in your class are:
- Stand at the door as they walk in. Give them a smile, a handshake or a hug and see how they are feeling that day. A child with a lot on their mind may be able to talk about what is going on so they don't spend the whole day worrying about it. This one simple hello and acknowledgement makes the kids feel like they belong and that they are safe.
- Have a quick class meeting before the day begins to share "good news" about things that are happening in your student's lives.
- My personal favorite is to put a post it by your computer that says, "Be the kind of teacher that notices new shoes" and every time you look at the post it try to stop and notice someone in your classroom-especially one of those quiet, not in your face kids, whom you could possibly go a whole day without talking to because they fade themselves into the background so well. The funniest thing was that the day I put this post it up, three kids walked in with actual new shoes on and boy was I ready for them!
So, as you read this, ask yourself, "Am I the kind of teacher that notices new shoes?" and try to notice something special about at least one of the children that you teach. It could make all the difference in the world to that child.