Encouragement

Last week was "get my classroom looking like a classroom and not a prison cell week," similar to shark week, except no one get attacked....Anyway, much was accomplished.  I'm going to try to take pictures today when I head to the middle school and post them later this week.  On Friday last week, after working all week in my classroom and getting more and more excited about school, I kind of had what I call a "blah" day.  Everybody has them.  Nothing's going wrong, but you just need a little lift in your spirits.  Anyhow, I got on Facebook and found this on my wall:


Dear Miss Herring, 
we, the previous 7th and 8th graders, miss you dearly. we all wish we could see you again, but as we know you will be working soon so we wish you love and luck.
♥ Jordan and everyone who has ever known you ever


Well, that was just the "lift" I needed!  This was one of my student from my student teaching semester a year ago.  In addition to her message on my wall, two other students sent me messages on Facebook, wishing me good luck at my new school. There's just something about encouragement from an unexpected place that makes you feel good inside.  There's a great John C. Maxwell quote that says, "Remember, man does not live on bread alone; sometimes he needs a little buttering up."  We all love to hear that we're doing a good job.  I don't think it's selfish, but I do think it's necessary for the human spirit.  My principal is one the best encouragers I have ever met.  Working in my room last Friday, I could hear her all the way down the hall, stopping in every open classroom door and commenting on everyone's hard work.  All she had to do was tell me she liked how my desks were arranged, and I couldn't help but smile and feel a little bit better about how my room was coming together.  


Anyway, I say all that to say that I'm going to do my best to do a little "buttering up" this week and this school year.  When my roommates or my friends or the teacher across the hall seems to need a little lift, I'm going to try to be encouraging the way those former students encouraged me without even knowing it.  When my students work hard or have a rough day, I want to be the teacher that praises them and makes them feel important.  School is a place where it's easy to feel lost in the crowd, and I want all my students to remember that they stand out.