Teachable Moments
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Stand At Your Door
As a child, I used to love the holiday season! It was with great anticipation that I would await the arrival of family and friends to partake in the scrumptuous feast prepared by my mother. When I thought that our loved ones were getting close to our home, I would open the door and stand there just so they would know that I was excited about them coming over to visit with us!
It seemed to me, as a classroom teacher, I should show my students the same enthusiasm about their arrival to my classroom. Everyday, I would stand at my classroom door and greet my students with a warm smile and a friendly hello. It made all the difference for students to know that I thought enough of them to anxiously await their arrival to my classroom!
As an administrator, I opened the door for a teacher who was running late from a meeting in the main office. I asked the students to line up and I greeted them one at a time. It brought back old memories. Good memories. I noticed that 2-3 students looked awfully familiar as they came through the door. It finally dawned on me that these students were repetitively coming through the front door and out the back door. When I finally "got it" and asked the students why they were coming through the door over and over again, they laughed and told me that they did not have a teacher who stood at the door. They liked it and they wanted to make sure to take full advantage of this special treat!
Teachers, please take the time to stand at the door and welcome your students.They will remember this small gesture of love for years to come! Read my book, "Recipe for Great Teaching" and you will see that standing at the door literally saved the life of a former student!
Amazing relevations and blessings can happen between you and the students from the simple act of standing at your door each day! Mark my word!
It seemed to me, as a classroom teacher, I should show my students the same enthusiasm about their arrival to my classroom. Everyday, I would stand at my classroom door and greet my students with a warm smile and a friendly hello. It made all the difference for students to know that I thought enough of them to anxiously await their arrival to my classroom!
As an administrator, I opened the door for a teacher who was running late from a meeting in the main office. I asked the students to line up and I greeted them one at a time. It brought back old memories. Good memories. I noticed that 2-3 students looked awfully familiar as they came through the door. It finally dawned on me that these students were repetitively coming through the front door and out the back door. When I finally "got it" and asked the students why they were coming through the door over and over again, they laughed and told me that they did not have a teacher who stood at the door. They liked it and they wanted to make sure to take full advantage of this special treat!
Teachers, please take the time to stand at the door and welcome your students.They will remember this small gesture of love for years to come! Read my book, "Recipe for Great Teaching" and you will see that standing at the door literally saved the life of a former student!
Amazing relevations and blessings can happen between you and the students from the simple act of standing at your door each day! Mark my word!