What’s your reaction when you arrive at work in the morning and the first thing that someone says to you is a request/ direction to do a task? It doesn’t really put you in the best of moods does it? But this is what many of us are doing to children every day. They enter the classroom to find a piece of ‘morning work’, perhaps correcting work from yesterday which might give them the message that they’re failed before they’ve even started the day, before anyone has even said ‘hello’ to them.
Teachers are expected to wring every possible second of learning out of a day, but perhaps the approach of working from the moment you walk in the door is having a negative impact on some of our children. A bright hello or thumbs up could be the first positive interaction that a child has had that morning and could completely change their mood for the rest of the day.
A positive, personal greeting improves self esteem, promotes a sense of belonging and safety and eases the transition from home into school. A quiet word or thumbs up while you study their facial expression and body language can give you so much information about the adjustments you might have to make that day for a child to be able to access learning. The act of greeting someone builds attachment and opens communication – which is the basis of all learning.
Although we might be restricted in how we can greet the children at the moment, a genuine hello, a smile, a thumbs up and a ‘air’ high 5 are all still possible.
How do you greet you children each morning? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Keeps Them Out Of Mischief 