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In what ways do you feel you currently nurture your students? How have you seen this impact them?
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I give students leadership and I discuss it with them many times about their role in a group or with certain students they can assist. We discuss how sometimes things are hard, but we can do hard things if we keep trying and ask for help. We talk about how to treat one another in the classroom in respectful ways because people have worth. Even in secular classrooms, I can bring these topics up and plant these seeds.
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I do my best to greet each student every morning by name and say goodbye in the afternoons. I feel that I have created a safe learning environment for my students.
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Nearly each morning I ask my 6th grade students if they have a prayer request, or an answer to prayer they would like to share. This opens a lot. There are many times I do not know what is going on within a family or with a student until prayer requests. When students share about things they are concerned about it lets me know to be more compassionate towards them that day. We have had death in families, severe sickness, and horrible situations to pray for together along with the chance to lift up one another in love. Kids have opted to stay in for lunch or recess to talk with me. I also let the other teachers they have know about the situations, so they can be sensitive as well.
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I pray for them. It opens them up.
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I absolutely greet students by name upon entering in the morning. It totally sets the tone, and they have told me it actually helps them start out right. One senior told me how much she was going to miss my early greetings and questions about how she’s doing every day. I asked her why, because sometimes her responses are pretty grumpy. She laughed and said, “Because you’re the only one who asks me.” Sad if that’s true, but it sure will keep me asking.