Say My Name

I am certain there lies in each of us a need to belong somewhere, anywhere.  That's why clubs, churches, gangs, etc exist, for people to belong.  No matter if you are a rule breaker, rule follower, or someone who lives on the edge, you still have this innate desire to belong somewhere, to fit in, to be known, to be valued.

As an educator, my FAVORITE part of any school day is arrival and dismissal.  It's also a busy, sometimes stressful time, but it gives opportunities like no other to welcome kiddos, to set them on a wonderful way to their day, and to send them home curious about what will happen tomorrow.  I serve at my school on car rider duty.  Each morning, I open doors, welcome students, say their names, smile at their parents, wish them a good day, and often times ask how they are doing, how their dance recital went, how that sports team they play on did, and to congratulate them on a new outfit or a haircut or a new tooth that fell out.  I know it sounds silly maybe to someone who is not in education, but those moments I wouldn't trade for any other part of my school day.  It's the same story in the afternoon, opening doors, making sure my little ones don't run in the street because they see their family in the school driveway, asking what they learned today, what was special about today.

To be able to welcome students by name gives an implication that I know them.  I've been around my school long enough to see families grow together, to know likes and dislikes, to know what class they are in, and to learn some things about them.

Recently, data has become a big deal, to know what percent of each subpop is passing, but my question to this data digging is always, "Do you know their names?  Can you tell me which kids are sitting in each subpop?"  It's nice to know numbers, but without names, it's useless data.  To know our students, we have to do some digging into their background, their history, to see where they came from the prior school year, and then to see them and know what motivates them, so I can move them forward.  Say their name.  Put a name to that numerical value.  Make them count for more than a number.  Everyone wants to belong, so let's make it happen.