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Parting Words

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I stood at the dismissal door waving, a smile on my face. “Have a great weekend! See you Tuesday!” I was exhausted, yet exhilarated. Like always, the first few days had flown by and life had shifted into high gear. I knew my students were tired, too. Because the first few days of school are hard. Adjusting to a new grade, new expectations, and a new teacher takes a lot of energy. As I sent my students home for the long weekend, I wanted my them to leave feeling happy, cared for, excited for what’s yet to come. And I wanted them to know they would be welcomed enthusiastically when they returned.

Educators and parents alike know how important the start of each new school year is. The first few days are critical. We have a few days to get things right, set the stage for what’s to come. That’s why huge chunks of time are dedicated to creating a classroom community and establishing routines. Routines, we know, not only maximize student learning, but they promote feelings of safety and security as our students learn what to expect at various times, while learning what is expected of them.

In and out of the classroom I embrace routine. Because there are so many “have tos” and “want tos” in life but a finite number of hours. Established routines help us use the precious commodity time efficiently, allocate minutes and hours, use them mindfully. And one of the most precious of minutes in our school day, in my opinion, is dismissal.

As adults, we’re all familiar with the phrase, “famous last words.” Many of us can quote final lines from favorite movies and books. Likewise, lots of us can conjure memories of parting words from people who mattered; a special neighbor, a dear school friend, a family member who really understood us, a parent. Their words left an imprint. Most of us can name a teacher who made a lasting impression on us too, because of something they said in parting.

When my girls were little, there never seemed to be enough time. Our morning routine followed Swiss clock precision. The moment the alarm clock buzzed Monday through Friday, each minute was accounted for. My kids quickly learned that there was no “being late to school,” no dawdling. Each morning as I headed out the door, I called, “Be good today. Learn lots. I love you.” On good mornings, when all ran smoothly, my goodbye was sing-songy. On bumpy mornings…not so much. The words blended into one. Regardless the delivery, I wanted my girls to hear the same message: have fun, make friends, be happy, be curious, engaged, ask questions, persevere when things get hard and remember, you are loved.

Day after day, my children heard the same thing. Three simple phrases, intentionally crafted and communicated. Be good. Do good. Love you. It was our goodbye ritual. Which I believe set them up for a great day.

When they left for college, my girls each established a phone routine with my husband and me. We could look forward to Friday night phone calls from our younger daughter, Saturday morning from our elder. They filled us in on highlights from their weeks, successes and struggles. As each conversation came to a close, I made sure to end with an encouraging word, an acknowledgement of effort, an I love you. With my children hours away, I rediscovered the incredible power of our parting words.

This made me rethink classroom dismissal. Dismissal was my least favorite time of the day. It was often rushed, hectic. But understanding the power of parting words, I knew there was room for improvement in my dismissal process. Didn’t I want my students to leave feeling positive about the work they’d done? Acknowledged for the contributions they’d made? Excited to return? Of course, I did. So, I revised my farewell. “Good night. You did great work today. See you tomorrow.”

Like the ritual I’d established with my own two children, the good bye I said to each of my students at dismissal time carried meaning. I wished them fun, happiness, had noticed their efforts and let them know I was looking forward to seeing them again the next day. Simple phrases that packed a lot of meaning. And for the kids who had a not-so-great day? Well, I’ve adapted a favorite line from one of my favorite picture books, Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes. “I know today was difficult. Tomorrow will be better.” I love these words because of their directness; reassurance that mistakes are expected and accepted, the promise of a brand new day to try again.

I realized that it took seconds to wish every child a good night, provide personalized encouragement, share a smile as they filed past. The parting words let my students know that I’d noticed, that they mattered. These positive feelings carry over into the next day and the day after that, creating an environment of trust and risk-taking. What a gift.

©Kathie Z.

 

 

 

The Encouragement’s on the Wall

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Every profession has its jargon and my field, education, has lots. One term we teachers hear used a lot is “literacy-rich environment,” sometimes referred to as “text-rich environment.” Educators invest time and energy creating literacy-rich classroom environments to promote literacy, a cornerstone of academic success and life-long learning.

So, what exactly constitutes a literacy-rich environment, you may wonder? Well, according to the experts, a literacy-rich environment is a classroom that has lots and lots of things for kids to read-ranging from calendars and schedules to books and magazines, as well as instructional posters and teaching charts, to name a few. A literacy-rich environment includes a wide variety of writing materials, as well. “Writing materials” encompasses everything from the expected classroom writing tools, paper and pencil to markers, crayons, chalk, dry-erase boards and rubber stamps. There are so many ways we teachers can cultivate our spaces to inspire and support student literacy.

The other day I prepared my daughter’s bedroom for her weekend visit home. As I dusted and tidied, I looked at her space with a critical eye. Not very surprising, her room is a text-book example of an incredibly literacy-rich environment. We’d fostered a love of reading, writing and self-expression in our home, so it was no surprise to find she’d filled her space, made it engaging, inviting the visitor to “read the room.” On one wall there are shelves filled with novels and textbooks, on another a bulletin board with handwritten notes and acceptance letters, a poster sized map of New York City. Another wall in her room is a massive chalkboard filled with doodles and some of her favorite quotes collected from books and artists. Reading my daughter’s room made me smile, appreciating the gift of the person who curated this space. I realized this is the space of an engaged learner, but more importantly, it also the private space of an inspired, brave, feeling person. The items she’s collected and displayed provide her with artistic inspiration and encouragement to put herself and her work out in the greater world.

chalkboard inspiration

Then it hit me, her room is what I call an “encouragement-rich environment”! Curious, I decided to take an observation walk around the house. (This is a learning activity in which teachers lead students on a walk, typically around the school, encouraging them to look closely, notice things in their environment and make discoveries.) In a matter of minutes, I found my daughter’s room was not unique in being encouragement-rich. I found evidence of inspiring, “you can do its” in just about every space. Postcards with trust your gut sayings are pinned to the kitchen bulletin board. Mugs stored in the cabinet declare, “You are my Sunshine.” Our daughters’ original art hangs on the walls, beautifying the space while validating their life choices. In our office, a sign states that “Good things come to those who create.” In the living room, a book shelf is filled with novels by authors whose stories of perseverance while navigating the publication process serves as my personal motivator. Encouragement abounds in our house.

I thought about the choices I’d made when decorating our house to create an environment that was safe, but promoted creativity and risk taking. I thought of the pillow I’d bought encouraging my daughter to “believe in her dreams,” pursue a career in the arts, the coffee-table book of successful, contemporary female artists that both of my daughters received one Christmas.

After walking through our house, I realized it’s nearly impossible to escape encouraging words. And this makes me so happy. I thought about when my girls were little, when I told them to “use their words,” express themselves. I see that I had been doing just that, too. Using words. Not only to bolster my daughters’ literacy skills and promote a love of learning, but to encourage and lift them up.

©Kathie Z.

 

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