For the past few years I have done breakfast duty. I ask to do breakfast duty. I love it.
I get to be one of the first people to smile at those kiddos as they start their day. It is a big responsibility. We all want our day to start well and we all want to feel welcome.
I can honestly say that most of the time I get nothing in return. No "good morning." No smile. No "hello." Not even a glance up. I keep smiling and reminding myself that my job is to welcome them.
But this year I decided to discuss what to do when someone says "Good morning." I talked about how it makes someone feel when you return the "Good morning." It was a very quick discussion but Oh.My.Goodness...
Every morning since I have received so many smiles, "hellos," "good mornings." I will even have some students stand there and stare at me until I realize that they are waiting for me to say "Good morning" so that they can say it back.
Maybe they just did not know to respond to me. Maybe they had never been taught. Maybe no one says that to them when they wake up in the morning.
Well, I say it to them. I am happy that they are there everyday. I am happy that I am there everyday and that we can now make each other feel welcome everyday.
Every year I purposefully teach my kids what to say when I tell them "Good morning." I am kind of surprised at times that they don't know this already, but oh well. I even get all excited in front of them when they beat me to saying it. :)
ReplyDelete❀ Tammy
Forever in First
Em, This is a fantastic story! So glad your "good mornings" are being returned to you!
ReplyDeleteAlyce
We started the capturing kid's hearts curriculum this year and one of things they have the teachers do is greet every student as they enter the classroom. They ask teacher's to shake hands and say good morning to each student. If you cannot do that then they ask that shortly after they enter you go to their desks and do the same thing. What a world of difference it has made.
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