“Cheers” to a Great Year Ahead!

On my morning walk I passed the neighborhood elementary school as the usual first

day of school traffic jam filled the streets. Parents jockeyed for parking spots or for a

place in the drop-off line. Some children walked confidently up the sidewalk, two steps

ahead of mom or dad. Others apprehensively clutched the hand of a parent. A few kids

zipped by on their bikes with broad smiles. Parents and children clustered around the

front door waiting for it to be opened. The air was abuzz with expectation.

I know the administration and staff of this school well. I was confident the teachers

inside were at the door of their classroom, ready to welcome children to the new school

year. The atmosphere in this place reminds me of the iconic bar in Boston that is the

scene of the hit TV sitcom of the 80’s and 90’s—“Cheers.” It’s the place “where

everybody knows your name and everyone is glad you came.” That should describe

every school in America.

Research indicates that simple act of greeting children by name at the door to your

classroom every morning increases academic engagement by 20% and reduces

challenging behavior by 9%. That’s a lot of bang for your buck. Greeting children by

name as they enter your room lets children know that they are welcomed and “seen.”

Many go home at the end of the day to an empty house where no one is there to

welcome them. Even if someone is home, heads are often buried in a screen, and no

one pauses to greet them.

As you greet your children be wholehearted. We all wear our heart on our faces.

Feelings are difficult to hide. Do your eyes light up when you greet a child? Children

instinctively know if we genuinely like them or merely tolerate them. Our eyes and our

face never lie.

So, as you begin each day, seek to create an atmosphere like

even in April and May when the kids are antsy and teachers are tired. Cheers to

a great year ahead!