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Kathy S
At the beginning of the school year, I always smile and say hello to the students whose lockers are close to my door. They are usually not my students, but they become familiar faces as I stand in the hall every day to greet my classes. Most times, I just see the students rush to and from their lockers with their heads down. But I still kept smiling and saying hello to one young man, and we actually struck up a friendship. I was out of the classroom today for PD, and when I passed by him in the hall, he mentioned that he missed seeing me at my door. A colleague asked if he was in my CP or Honors class. I explained that he is not even one of my students, but our smiles and hellos from September have evolved into a friendship that is easily one of the best parts of my day.

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Seniors are on senior trip this week and it really kind of stinks for the seniors who are left behind. I have a handful in each class, and one class is all boys and me. Instead of burying myself in grading  research papers and pressing play on a movie, I smiled at them and asked them how they were and what was going on with them. These eighteen year old boys started talking and ended up opening up about college doubts, financial struggles, and the reasons they couldn’t go on trip. It was so nice to have the time and ability to just TALK and LISTEN to them- we aren’t always able to do that with a full class. Now I enter fourth marking period with a better understanding of my boys and their future doubts and dreams. :)

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I have second period office duty where I have to give out warnings for being late to homeroom and sometimes even detentions. Many students come in worried or angry and sometimes I even see tears. I wish them all a great day and give them a smile before I send them on their way back to class. I think this goes a long way and will continue to be a bright spot despite the discipline.

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I've been conducting writing conferences with students in my Honors English 11 classes as they barrel toward the due date for our big research paper unit. I've been starting each conference with a smile and chatting about how they feel about the paper, what is stressing them out, etc. I have watched each kid actually take a deep breath once we sit together.  Starting the conference with a smile and some friendly conversation has created palpable relief, and I think it has also made them  more open and comfortable to ask questions and receive feedback :)

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During Period 2, I have hall duty. I walk around the first floor of the 9/12 side of the HS, looping around and around, reading my book while strolling the halls. Throughout the period I pass colleagues, students, and visitors, and I always look up, make eye contact, and smile, saying "hello" or "good morning." Students are often walking in the hall toward the bathroom, face down, looking at their phones, and they are my favorite people to say hello to and give a smile. For a brief moment when we pass each other, they look up, connect with another person, and say hello back. Sure it's brief and pretty simple/easy to do, but in a way...it's a moment of recognition, a moment of connection. A moment where, hopefully, they realize that someone sees them, recognizes them, and shows them their worth. That's my hope at least. That's my Period 2 plan.

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My class had a lot of fun and SMILES participating in brain break movement activities this week. They especially enjoyed showing these to our Rowan practicum students.

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During cafeteria duty today, I walked up and down each row of tables and gave a smile to anyone that made eye-contact with me. Some students smiled back, some gave a hesitant wave, and some called me over for a quick chat.

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One of the text selections in my informational unit is an excerpt from the novel Hatchet. Just from reading the excerpt and working with the text, TEN of my students wanted to borrow and read the novel for their next IRB. This made me smile, because I used to love reading and teaching Hatchet to my reading classes, but it is not a book that my current students would typically choose to read on their own. So, this makes me smile!

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(Maria's is hysterical!)
Last week I was trying to guide students to recognize a point George Orwell was making in Animal Farm. The students are a chatty group but nice, not edgy, yet I was near the breaking point. Suddenly, a student asked if he could share something with me: It was a new gnome that the class wanted to give to me to add to the collection of them in the room. Stunned beyond belief, I couldn't help but smile--a gift wholly unrelated to Animal Farm is still a gift and possibly a message of sorts from students. I somehow segued into a discussion on gifts/lack thereof in the novel.

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Does it count when you're smiling just to stop yourself from banging your head against the board because someone asked you a question you've already answered six times?

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Discover & share this Mean Girls GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

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I had to share this “smile” that I received this week. You really can’t predict the impact a kind word or an easy smile has on another person. This kind of made my week!

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Monday was my first day back since my dad passed.  Quite a few of my students have given me cards, made me cards, sent e-mails, or given me hugs.  This has helped me stay strong and smile for them.  They have showed me that they care and that I matter.  They are my why and though life sucks right now, they make me smile and remember why I come to work each day. :)

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Yesterday morning I had a student who came to school late. As soon as he opened my door and came into class, I could tell he was not himself. He looked really upset and disheveled. I could tell he must have had a rough morning. My class was in the middle of reading a passage together, so I called on a student to take over reading for me, and I went over to him. I smiled and said "I'm really happy to see you today!" Immediately he smiled and said "Thanks. I needed that today." I asked him if everything was ok, and he told me he is fine, but he'd come talk to me later. We did talk later, and he will be ok - this boy just has a lot more going on than school work. However, I know that my smile helped him remember he's in a safe place, and he is wanted here.

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Debbie Barnes

A student came to speak with me during study hall. The look on her face and the sound of the rushed, choppy words coming out of her mouth let me know she was feeling upset and overwhelmed. As I listened to her, I smiled. I just smiled. She began speaking more slowly and clearly. By the time she had finished, I hadn't yet said a word, but she looked more relaxed. I was able to give her some verbal feedback and encouragement. I'm sure my smile helped as much as my words.

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Debbie Barnes

A student came to speak with me during study hall. The look on her face and the sound of the rushed, choppy words coming out of her mouth let me know she was feeling upset and overwhelmed. As I listened to her, I smiled. I just smiled. She began speaking more slowly and clearly. By the time she had finished, I hadn't yet said a word, but she looked more relaxed. I was able to give her some verbal feedback and encouragement. I'm sure my smile helped as much as my words.

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In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, my classes and I smile while reflecting on our early literacy books.  These books continue to make us smile, even as we grow older.  THIS is my WHY!

***Pics to come! :)

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I have a group of boys in my 7th period class who absolutely love Kwame Alexader. Today one of my student-fans announced that Kwame Alexander has participated in the NBA dunk competition. My students couldn't believe it (and neither could I). After a quick Google search, we quickly discovered that there is an actual NBA player with the same name. Although they students were slightly disappointed, I couldn't help but smile at the hype over their favorite author.

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During conferencing today with a student I smiled when they talked on and on about their book.The more I smiled the more relaxed the student was to talk meaningfully about her book selection :)

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It is easy to smile during WRAP because I get to just sit with the kids and talk about BOOKS! That's what I did 4th period today. Many smiles.

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It's kind of hard for me not to smile... but I love the way strangers look at you kind of suspiciously when you first smile at them. Then once you make eye contact, they realize you are showing warmth, and they generally appreciate that and smile back, often accompanied by a nod and, sometimes, a wink.

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MB- This a.m. I smiled intentionally at the kind, cold gas attendant. I felt my already jam-packed mind start to calm down and noticed his smile in return. My thoughtful intention may have helped me more than I thought it would!