Why I Greet Students in the Morning
On most mornings, I stand outside the front entrance of the school and greet students by name and with a fistbump. A new student asked me why I do it. There are a lot of reasons, and I thought it might help to share them with all of you.
For one, the morning can be stressful, particularly on days when the MBTA is cranky and traffic is bad. Students carry that stress with them, along with the anticipatory stress of whatever test or quiz or game or concert or might be coming that day. My hope is that a warm, personal human connection from an adult before walking through the door can bring the heart rate down and spirits up. There’s something psychologically important about being seen, called by name, and welcomed as an individual. And there’s something comforting in the consistency of the ritual at the start of the day. Greeting students like this is a way I can do my part to live up to our promise to know and love each young person.
There are other benefits too. It never hurts to give students a chance to practice eye contact, say hello, and engage in a little conversation. I’ll often learn something: there’s a 10th grade English quiz coming up or it’s somebody’s birthday. In the process, I’m hopefully laying the groundwork so that if students have something sensitive to share with me in the future, they are comfortable doing that.
The most important reason, though – and the one I told that new student – is that greeting them is often the best part of my workday. These kids are just so great. I come back into the building for first period energized and carrying a daily reminder of what this work is all about.