Greeting
students in the morning in the bus lane and on the front steps is a great way
to help make a school more welcoming. My awesome vice-principal and I like to
touch base with anyone we are worried about, remind students to get forms in,
ask about a recent event, and just say hello and stay connected to what is
going on in the building and the community. Parents will notice us and come
over to chat. The staff knows where to find us, and it gives them a chance to
ask a question or let us know what is going on in their classroom. Being out in
the halls during class change, at lunch, and after school, as well as being in
and out of classrooms gives us even more opportunities for face time with kids
and colleagues alike. I think its also pretty safe to say that students are more
prone to respectful behaviour when they know we are around, and though the
better tests of character certainly occur when we are not there, our presence
makes for good practice for some kids at the very least, and improves the tone
of the building for everybody.
I
think the best reason to be out and about during the higher traffic times is
that it can remind us why we are in education. We are here to make a difference
for kids and I am sure that it does matter to them when an adult makes the
effort to say hello when they pass by. An effective school needs to be a
community first, and a healthy social connection leads to better learning.
The BC public school system is currently engaged in a
teacher job action, and with staff not attending meetings, handling memos, or
doing supervision, there has been a giant shift in principals’ responsibilities
away from planning and meeting towards supervision and information
distribution. The practice of being visible and greeting students is something
our principal team has valued for some time, but the job action has probably
doubled the responsibility and the opportunity to engage in this
practice. In addition to just trying to make the most of a challenging
situation, there is nothing like saying “Good Morning” to dozens of students to
cheer us up and put us in a more positive frame of mind.
