Each morning, I wake up at 5am. My day begins very early, as a full-time teacher and mother of 5 children. I choose to get to work early; carpools, dinner, and homework call my name each night. I rarely get to bed before 11pm (my eldest is 12 years old), so early mornings allow me to work on my planning without pulling me from my “motherly” responsibilities at night. The school building is quiet until the arrival of our students. Once I have had my morning coffee, it’s the perfect time to get work done.
Once the students arrive and enter into the classroom, I have already been awake for over 3 hours. Am I tired? Possibly. Yet adrenaline keeps me in check during those first few periods. Why? Because I am excited. I love going to work. I have fun every day!
But what about those mornings that were not so smooth? The ones where I have spilled my coffee, woke up late, or got stuck in unexpected traffic? Or what about the rough mornings affected by previous nights met with temper tantrums and broken sleep? Because the reality is that there are many of those! So when I get to work, despite my passion for teaching, there are times when I am having difficulty “feeling” it!
Just like there are bumps in my mornings, I know that quite often there are bumps in my students’ mornings too. So, each morning I have two choices. On those days when my morning is met with obstacles, frustration, and even tears – yes tears – I can either solidify that with a plain, solemn-looking face OR I can smile! And here is what I discovered: greeting my students with a smile each morning not only makes them happy, but it actually makes me happy! A “feel-good” moment for them turns into a “feel-good” moment for me. And at that point, I am able to change my mood into a positive one!
As educators we need to be aware of what we encourage in our students and whether or not we model it. The “Zones of Regulation” are a very common resource that we use with our students to encourage mood identification and the relevant tools and strategies that can help students move from negative moods to positive ones. However, are we educators using those same Zones to check in with ourselves?
I often find that the “token” smile is one great way to help us educators move from a negative space to a positive space quickly. Why? Because a simple smile is contagious. It makes others feel welcome, important, and special! And that, in turn, can help US feel welcome, important, and special too – especially in moments when we may need it most!
Yours Truly,
Jen