Little Things Matter

September 27, 2012

Since the beginning of my teaching career, I've made it a habit to stand outside my door to greet my kids walking in.  There are times, of course, when I get caught at my desk or with a student and don't make it out to the hallway when the bell rings, but more often than not I'm there.  I love it when the kids smile or give me a high-five on the way in, or even just say hello.  It sets a nice tone, you know?  It's such a habit for me that I don't always think too much about it, but the other day I was sitting at my desk between classes as the students filed in, and a couple of my girls walked in, looking a bit indignant.

"Hey, Mrs. L!  You weren't at the door when we came in!  What happened?  Why weren't you there?"

"I'm sorry! I had to send off an email between classes.  I'm glad you missed me out there, though."

"Of course we did--that's our Tuesday thing.  We always know you're going to be there to say hello!"

Seriously, that made my day.  It's just a little thing, but they went out of their way to let me know they noticed, and it mattered.