Educational Insights: September 28, 2009
Dr. Paula Sissel -- Elementary Principal/Superintendent
September 29, 2009
MISSIONSTATEMENT:
The mission of Garden County Schools is to develop individuals who will meet the challenges of a global community.
“Kindness is a language that even the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
-Mark Twain
Last week, Garden County School’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC) gathered for this school year’s first meeting at the elementary site. One of the agenda items was to discuss our schools as ‘welcoming’ places. There was lively conversation about the district’s buildings, staffing, and procedures in regard to this important topic.
One council member shared an experience at another school district last year. When she and her husband were attending a junior high sporting event at a neighboring school, they went to look for a vending machine. She said regardless of who they met, they were greeted with smiles and offers for assistance. The welcoming environment was memorable and uncommonly pleasant.
We all have likely had a similar experience in our lives: an encounter that sticks in our minds as being genuinely caring and supportive. When this happens, we feel good about ourselves and life in general. The discussion caused me to reflect on how we might work to consciously create this type of environment in our schools and community.
With all the resources we allocate for economic development and improving the educational environment, perhaps the simplest thing we might do is to simply ‘be nice’. Could it possibly be that easy?
While driving through a rural town in eastern NE several years back, a building had this saying painted on it: “If you don’t have a smile, we will give you one of ours!” It piqued my attention enough to write it down and remain in my mind. I have often thought how such a small thing, such as a smile, can make such a huge difference! Smiling is understood in all languages and by all ages.
The hectic pace of this current society, coupled with the urge to multitask, often leaves us feeling harried and empty. However, positive relationships are enhanced with eye contact, verbal communication, and genuine empathy. We all need to be reminded to take the time to really listen and reflect on what we hear. Looking through another’s lens can make all the difference in how we respond in situations.
Good manners and smiling are too often overlooked in the daily grind. Who doesn’t remember the clerk or customer service representative that ‘makes our day’ with a smile and extraordinary kindness? Most of us are willing to pay a little more to be treated respectfully and politely in a business place.
In spite of all the latest in technology, one simply cannot replace good old human kindness in this life. Ironically, compassion often costs nothing and can make you feel like a million bucks! This may be the most important lesson we can all teach our children. We need to look for opportunities to model good manners and share smiles freely. Kindness counts...
