“Why is she so happy?”
This is the question that I overheard two of my students asking each other earlier this week in the hallway.
You know, back-to-school time is it important time where we are constantly having first impressions. We’re having first interactions with students, we are having first interactions with some of our new colleagues and I think sometimes we underestimate what a first impression can mean for the entire 180 day school year.
I can’t wait to tell you what the response was of the other student. His response was so intense it hit me in my heart in a very real way and it was this ultimate reminder that first impressions are awesome little moments that we really truly need to consider as we start a new year…
Just a little background… I’m teaching in a brand new school. For the past 10 years I have been in the school district that I went to school in, in the town I was born and raised in. Now I am in a new location so I absolutely feel like a first-year teacher again. I’m constantly being bombarded with new and even if you’ve been in the profession for a little while there’s always that “shell shock” from coming back to school.
You know, we joke on social media with our colleagues that there is no tired like back-to-school season tired. I don’t know about you I’m feeling that! But I’m also loving it because it’s an opportunity for brand new start fresh start. I think that’s really something that can be positive for teachers! We, as adults need that opportunity to start fresh with our kids and so being new to the district and being new to my students, it was a really important time to have a killer first impression.
I believe in being very authentic with kids on the first day! I do not believe in the philosophy of “don’t smile until Christmas.” I don’t know who invented that philosophy, but I would like to have a sit-down coffee chat with them because that’s just not realistic and I think that it doesn’t give off good vibes.
Hopefully we wants to give off the kind of vibes with our kids that say, “I want to build a relationship with you!” Let’s start that on day one!
So friend, if you are one of those first-year teachers or new to your building…
It is okay to smile!
It is okay to laugh!
I’m giving you permission to do that!
I did that with my students on the first day! I play a game with them called “My Mind Blowing Facts.” It’s something that I love to do at the beginning of the school year! It is not about saying “hey tell me something about yourself.” Rather, “tell me something about yourself that is going to blow my mind!”
We laughed and we asked each other great questions and it’s been a really, really, really, great first week of school! I’m given who I am right out the gate! I am a little bit energetic! I am a happy person! I am an outgoing person! I don’t like to just kind of go with the norm! I’m not afraid to do things a little bit differently! And I want my kids to see that, especially on the first week of school.
So about four days in, I overheard an interaction that I probably wasn’t supposed to over hear, but it was with two of my 8th grade boys. I greeted them in the morning around 8 a.m. and I was like, “Good morning, gentleman!”
They gave a less than energetic “Hi” back and they walked past me. One of the boys said to the other, “why is she so happy?”
That totally got my attention!
I’m glad that they’re reading into my genuine vibe!
He said very simply, “I think she actually likes her job.” That got me right in the heart!
I thought to myself, of course I like my job!
I think how we interact with kids at the beginning of the year is going to drive that first impression! I think that despite the hardships of this profession, and despite the fact that we get frustrated with kids, and we have high standards or high expectations, it doesn’t mean that we can’t still have a positive classroom culture and camaraderie even in those first few days
Fun fact of the entry! The bell that you hear at the beginning of the podcast version, is the school bell from my actual building. It’s the bell I hear 27 times a day! Until now, I’ve never taught in a school that actually has bell system!
At this point, you may be a little worried because this is all about first impressions and you’ve already had students maybe for a week 2 weeks. You’re thinking, “I don’t know if the first impression I gave was the one that I want students to walk out of my classroom with every day.” The cool thing about that is, friends, kids are very, very, very, forgiving!
I think the number one thing that we can do as teachers is be honest with our kids.
If you haven’t let your kids into your real life, told them about your dog, or about your kids or whatever it might be, now is the time to open up a little bit and be authentically you as a human!
Kids know when we love what we do and we love our life, it makes a difference!
I want you to strive for students to wonder, “why you are so happy?” and the answer should be, “Kids it’s because I’m living this teacher life!”
