Monday Musings - Sept 14

It's been two (almost full) weeks with your students; by now you should have their names memorized, have an idea of who gets along with who, who cannot handle sitting by their friend, which ones seem to be natural leaders, which ones love reading, which ones struggle with stamina, etc.  And of course...by now I'm sure you have figured out which student may require more attention from you than the others. You know who I'm talking about. Whether you recognize them from previous incidents int he hallway or the playground from last year or parents said something at open house that raised a red flag for you, you know who these students are. I like to secretly refer to these students as my "frequent flyers;" the students that may frequently need a visit with me. I try to seek them out during the day early on; either in the hallway or in the classroom, for a positive check-in visit before they need to come and see me in the office. 

Each of these students have a different story, a different reason for the challenges they bring to school. For many of them, you may be the first smile they see each day, the only adult giving them positive feedback, the only source of daily structure or you may just be the only one that notices that they need a new backpack or pair of shoes. Whatever their story may be, I ask you to spend a couple of extra minutes with this child each day to build a relationship to help this year be the year of success for him.  As Rita Pierson said in her TED Talk, kids don't learn from people they don't like. 

In addition, I challenge you to make a parent contact home this week...a positive one, welcoming them to this school year, your class and share what strengths you see in the child. Do this now, before you have to make a phone call about a concern. I know it takes extra time, but the impact it can have for the child, the family and yourself will be the reward in itself. If you're just not sure what to say, here's a post to help you get started: The Power of the Positive Phone Call Home.