How do you greet your students?

As we begin the school year, and are buying discount school supplies in bulk, make sure you take the time to pick up a smile for your students. It becomes difficult to mentally sift through the mile-long to-do lists, organizing your classroom, as well as, the number of staff and team meetings you need to attend, but make sure you take a moment to focus on your students and how you greet them as they enter your classroom. A small gesture can have a huge impact on your school year, and your students’.

A smile is worth 1,000 words.

Something simple I started doing is standing outside my door and making sure I (even if its for a second) make eye contact, smile, and greet every student (high-five, handshake, fist bump,etc.) as they enter my classroom.

This was a simple change but it was amazing how much it improved my relationships and interactions with all the students in my classroom. It was also an opportunity to identify if any students were having an “off” day and give them a quick pep talk.

Something to think about:

Something I realized was that even though I had been at school for 2-3 hours before my first class, my students probably just woke up (without a parent to help them or get them breakfast in most cases) and come right to school. I could be the first adult they interacted with for the day, and I wanted that experience to be a positive one for them. If you start the school year on a positive note with a student, correcting behavior later becomes easier and will be more successful if it is needed.

I know this seems overly simple, but taking the time to greet my students instead of trying to prep the lesson I was about to deliver was a small change that lead to a more inviting and productive learning environment.

So as you begin your school year, how will you greet your students?