More Than You Know

Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.    

Haim Ginott

For teacher educators this is the time of year when preservice student teachers are completing their independent teaching. Leading up to complete takeover there are degrees of readiness exhibited by student teachers. Regardless of how ready they think they are at the outset, all have one thing in common – it is overwhelming.

Makes sense – for many student teachers the lead up to complete take over in the classroom has been three months. That’s about twelve weeks of support before being left alone with all those responsibilities. Totally independent. In a room full of elementary-school-age children.  

Really?   

REALLY!

So how does one handle the responsibility?

What does one do to manage the stress?

How does one cope with the enormity of teaching?

Here is where Haim Ginontt’s advice serves us well. Children learn more from what they see and experience than from what we tell them. So what do we want all those children to see? What do we want them to experience? Simplest start –

Smile so the children see that you are happy to be there

Smile so the children experience your passion for learning

Smile so the children see that you enjoy what you are doing

Smile so the children experience the joy of learning

Smile so the children see that you like these children

What will happen when you smile at that room full of children? There is scientific evidence for the truism that smiles are greeted with smiles. Here is one example:

http://www.livescience.com/34339-facial-muscles-frown-smile.html

Everyone has anecdotal evidence to support this contention. Just smile at the next person you see and watch what happens.

It is easy to get caught up in all the responsibilities of independent teaching. IT is serious business. But it doesn’t require being business like. Try not to get so caught up in what you are doing that you forget to focus on how you are doing it. (You teach CHILDREN – remember?)

Smiling results from feelings of happiness but there is some evidence to suggest that the reverse is also true. Smiling actually makes you happier. See the article Smile! It Could Make You Happier in Scientific American for more:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/smile-it-could-make-you-happier/

So if things are not going exactly as planned and you are not feeling truly happy in that moment (or any moment!), remember to smile anyway. You’ll feel better and so will those children. What a great lesson for everyone.

Sage advice for veteran teachers too – - it works.  All those smiles falling on all those children will most certainly make an impression. More than you know…

Still learning…to teach, Dr. G.