Teacher Tip Tuesday: Say the Thing
“If you see something beautiful in someone, speak it.” ~ Ruthie Lindsey
It was the last day of school. This had been a particularly challenging school year. My students had been through it. I had been through it. On our last day, students were helping me take everything down in the classroom, stack the chairs and desks, and put things into boxes. I barely had any time to pack up my classroom before we were supposed to be done for the summer, so my students graciously helped! The year wasn’t ending the way I had envisioned. I wanted to write special notes for each student to go along with their gifts. I wanted to take intentional closure time as a group and with individual students. But so many unexpected things had happened in my personal life and at school, which made a “normal” end of the school year not possible. I felt defeated as a teacher.
But on this last day with everyone bustling around, cleaning and packing up, I decided to just make it happen the best I could. I sat on a packed box of books and asked one of my students to come over. I took about one minute to tell that student how thankful I was to have them in my class that year. I told them strengths I noticed about them and wished them well on their next adventure. Then, I did the same thing with the next student and the next after that. Twenty-six students later, I had personally connected with all of my kiddos. It wasn’t perfect. There was still a bit of chaos and it wasn't how I’d imagined it, but it was special and meaningful nonetheless. I was so grateful to have had these moments with my students.
Our Teacher Tip Tuesday for today is to say the thing. However this looks in your school day, embrace or create opportunities to speak truths into your students’ lives. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be like the teacher next to you. Just say the thing. Speak life and belief into your students. You will most likely regret the messages never communicated, but you will never regret the intention you took to tell your students the beautiful things you see in them.
