Friday, January 14, 2011

Compliments

It's amazing how a few nice words can go a long way.  I arrived at school yesterday at the same time as my assistant principal.  As we were chatting on the way in, he mentioned that another teacher had come to him about me.  My first reaction was "oh no."  But what came next was a pleasant surprise.  This teacher wanted to recognize how well my students have been behaved this year (compared to our other 6th grade class) and how much more respectful they are overall.  Having a co-worker's acknowledgement was great!  My assistant Principal was going to pass the good word on to our principal and board (I work at a small charter school where we know everyone).

Although I technically don't know exactly who said the compliment, I have an idea of who it might be.  The day before class came back late from gym.  I was thinking that they were in trouble because that is usually the case when they are late.  It turned out that our gym teacher was talking to my class about why they are so much more respectful and behaved than our other 6th grade class.  The kids said that they knew I was fair and would follow through with what I said I would do if they misbehaved.  And they respect me for that.  Having hormonal 6th graders compliment you is a huge deal as well! 

It really is amazing how a few nice words can go a long way.  Hopefully this positive vibe can carry on for a while!

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