What's in a Smile, a Hug, and a "Hi"?

As a new classroom teacher thirty + years ago, I greeted each and every student with a smile, a hug, and “Hi _______ “at the door every morning. This practice was done consistently, and it help to structure my students’ day and to cut down on potential problems. Did problems happen? Of course, they did. Did some students misbehave? Yes, but I believed in my students and myself and felt we could handle anything, and we DID!

This simple practice can help to establish a community in your class, and it does not take a lot of time or energy. It helps to set the tone for the day or prior to each class period. Think about how you feel when you are greeted by your principal, your colleagues, your church members, store greeters/workers, etc. To be recognized in a positive manner is important to all of us.

What to do:

• Do it with intention

• Be sincere

• Do it consistently

  
  

Give students opportunities to say “Hi”, give you a hug, handshake, high 5, fist bump, and you initiate and reciprocate the actions.

Use positive body language, gestures, or non-verbal cues.

Say the following: “Hello, _____.” “How are you?” “What a beautiful smile this morning, ______?” “Good to see you.” “We have an exciting day ahead of us.” “I missed you yesterday and I hope you are feeling better.”

What NOT to do:

• Greet some students but not all.

• Ignore your students.

• Rush them to get work done.

• Bring up past incidents.

• Say the following: “Don’t come in here with that.” “Let’s hope you will not act like you did yesterday.” “Am I going to have to send you back to the office today?” “Your work is on the board.”

This is what the students heard or inferred,

• My teacher doesn’t care about me.

• My teacher doesn’t believe in me.

• My teacher doesn’t like me.

• My teacher doesn’t respect me.

• My teacher has low expectations of me.

  
  

Why does this practice matter? How will it transform the culture and climate in my classroom?

• Students will be less likely to misbehave because they feel you care, value, and want them in your class.

• You have high expectations for their learning and their behavior.

• It helps to assess your students’ attitude or demeanor so it can be addressed in a proactive manner.

• You are building relationships and trust with your students.

• Students are allowed to “start over” on a new day without past offenses being held against them.

• Students are able to start the day on a positive note and helps them to forget about any stress they may have experienced at home or on the way to school.

  
  

If you are already doing this routine, then you are part of a large group of teachers who believe greeting is important. If you have not started this practice, it is NOT too late. Your students may wonder why you are doing this, and you can tell them that you feel that greeting them is important. They may feel that it is phony, and you may feel that way too, but the more consistent you are, the more natural it will become.

Thank you for what you do each and every day for the students you teach.

Your Partner in Education,

Tiffany :)