Encouragement

Earlier this week my freshman rode in the front seat as we pulled up to his old middle school, where his seventh-grade sister hopped into the car. As we were pulling away, both kids rolled down the window to wave and tell one of the administrators goodbye. (If you don’t spend a lot of time with teenagers, please note that it is a big deal for them to willingly engage with an adult who represents authority.) As the windows went up, both kids made comments about how much they liked the assistant principal and wished he was their AP. The conversation went something like this:

“So, neither of you had that assistant principal?” I asked.

“Nope!” both kids confirmed.

“What is so special about him?” I asked as we headed to practice.

“Mom, he always looked for the good in kids,” my freshman responded. “He even walked into class and asked teachers to catch kids making good choices so that he could email parents good news. Nobody does that in middle school.”

My seventh grader added, “He always looks me in the eye and tells me to have a great day. So many adults at school want to see my school ID or confirm that I am in dress code. Mr. Smith just wants me to have a good day.”

This immediately made me ponder my own interactions with students and faculty members. I found myself thinking about what I say to the people I pass in the hallways and how I make people feel even during brief encounters.

Later that week I was at my gym and part of the workout involved sprints. I am a distance runner, so my form is pretty dismal when it comes to sprints. I am awkward, and nothing feels right. After several rounds and a few cues, my coach yelled out, “Yes! You just got it! Keep falling forward, Kristin!” I couldn’t hold back my goofy grin. I appreciated the encouragement. I recognize that I am still not a skilled sprinter, but I attempted to adjust my form, I made a little improvement. and it felt good that my coach noticed.

I want to be the kind of teacher, colleague, parent—well, human, I want to be the kind of human—who encourages other humans. Everyone benefits from that kind of person. I was reminded of the adage “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Thank goodness for all of the teachers, administrators, and coaches who encourage us! My goal is to continue to work toward being more like them every day.