Smiling Is a Super Power

     

Well, the school year is over, and we all made it safely to the end! As I look back on the many events that occurred, I would have to say it was truly challenging. The thing that saved me again and again was and continues to be my positive attitude. For example, there was a situation that occurred during the school year where I was speaking with some very hostile parents. They were seated in my office, raising their voices, and just plain mad.  I have asked office staff to be sensitive to such situations and to close my door when they hear folks get emotional or upset so that we can respect their feelings. Well, right on cue, Kathryn comes to my door and closes it for me. Can I tell you how much I appreciate my office staff!!!  Later that day, she said something to me that I will never forget. She said, “When I came to close your door, you were just smiling at these parents as they were yelling at you.”

     Well, I have to confess, keeping a smile at such times might be difficult, but I have found that it never fails me. As I recently read in Dan Kerr's blog entry on Connected Principals, “A smile breaks down barriers, it diffuses tense or contentious situations, it fosters positive intent, and it inspires a student’s or colleague’s perception of who you are and how you feel about them.”  Being positive is something I demand of myself and of my staff. School climate and culture grounded in positivity is one of the foundations of a great school.

     We have many more challenges ahead of us with the upcoming school year. AND, school grading and accountability can certainly put a spotlight on things that desperately need attention in the schoolhouse. Sometimes these needs might seem daunting, but keeping morale high and pressing on to positively face every obstacle are critical to surviving this job with a happy and healthy outlook.

     And when it comes to the children, your smile and your welcome greeting might be the only happiness that a student encounters in their life all day. I can walk into classrooms and tell where students are happy and into others where they are not. I can walk into classrooms where students love their teacher, and I can also walk into others where they fear their teacher. Practice smiling and keep everyone around you smiling. Do you laugh during your day? Look around you and find inspiration in the faces of the children you teach. Did you know that 1 smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate? Click here to see a YouTube video about The Power of Smiling.

A smile is something you can’t give away; it always comes back to you.                    – Maya Angelou

                      

Inspired by dkerr’s blog entry, The Power of a Smile, April 21, 2013, Connected Principals