The Impact of Words

    This week was an especially hard week at school. The first few weeks are always hard because you are setting up procedures, rules, and expectations. However, the most important thing you are setting up is a relationship with your students. I tell my students that I try to be firm, fair, and friendly. I let them know that once we set up our rules I am going to hold them to it, but if they feel something is unfair, they are welcome to let me know and we can vote on it as a class. One thing I have found especially true for 6th grade is that you have to earn their respect, but once you do they will go far for you.
      During this week I felt frustrated at times. I have a few students who just don't seem to care regardless of the motivation or consequence. I decided to have a class discussion where I was open and honest about how I was feeling. I modeled for my students the faces I was seeing during class and asked them how it would make them feel if they were presenting. I reminded them of all the fun activities we do in class and how we didn't have to do them, that I chose to because I wanted them to enjoy what we were doing. I asked them for only one thing in return, respect. The discussion went okay but I left feeling kind of frustrated, feeling like my students still didn't get what I was trying to portray.
      The next morning, one of my students walked in before school, dropped a note on my desk, and snuck back out. I picked up the note and read :

      All I can say is I am grateful for his kind words. He completely made my day and made me feel so much better. When I thanked him and asked him why he did it, he said, "Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. I think his thought is so true. It's important to take the time and do the things we know we should even if it's just a compliment or a  how are you doing. You never know what the impact of your words will be.