Do You Know Their Story?

Everyone has a story!  How well do you know your student’s stories?

Do you know what they like?  What motivates them?  What makes them laugh, cry?  What their fears are?  How often do we have or take the time to listen to their stories.

I know a principal who has decided to help her teachers focus on the positive aspects of the students in their classroom.  She created a Google doc for each of her teachers with their class list on a spreadsheet.  She asked them to bring a laptop to every staff meeting.  She dedicates ten minutes for them to record one positive thought for as many students as they can in the time allowed.

It is so easy to concentrate on what support our students need we sometimes don’t have time to focus on their story and what they bring to the classroom every day.  This principal’s hope is to give her teachers the time to think about their students’ strengths and therefore add to their stories ..