Lessons Learned…
Kindness
Following
a frightening first grade year with an incessantly yelling teacher, trepidation
filled this young heart in anticipation of second grade. Fear, one method of classroom management and control,
manifests in students through their downcast eyes, rounded shoulders, and obvious
crushed confidence. First grade
accomplished this for me. Just weeks from second grade, hopes were not too high
for anything better. Upon arrival in the
new classroom, we second grade students were greeted with a breath of lovely
fresh air. In a word, kindness. This kindness was to escort our class throughout
second grade, refilling our learning sails with a gentle breeze of optimism
allowing and encouraging us to bravely and excitedly explore new oceans of
learning. Kindness. A gentle voice.
Happy eyes. Probably not attributes
asked about on a teacher job application, but clearly attributes deeply
affecting classroom morale and ultimately individual and collective classroom
successes. Kindness pierced through the learned fear of the previous school
year and nurtured a restored eye contact, strong shoulders and a sweet growing
confidence among all of us blessed to be in this happy second grade classroom.
I do not recall content taught nor content learned in second grade, albeit to
recognize that we all advanced to the third grade. I do recall, however, with
vivid and joyful recollection, the loving-kindness of a very gentle, very
special, very encouraging teacher, whose tender ways brought smiles and
motivated excellence. I have never forgotten to consider the tone used in
delivering words to children. Kindness matters. Kindness builds up. Kindness
outlasts content.
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