Give a Dog a Good Name

The past week was an outstanding week to be a Deep Creek Cub.  It amazes me to see the effort you put into getting your classrooms ready for students and make them feel welcome on Open House.  As an Assistant Principal it makes my job so easy when parents ask directions to your room and I get to watch them and their children walk away knowing they are going into a room with a teacher who truly cares about them.  Thank you for that.

I also believe that Wednesday was one of the best site based Professional Development Days that I have been a part of as an educator.  Congrats to all the presenters and behind the scenes staff that did a great job getting all of it ready. 

Now on to Monday, students are back.  I want to share a part of a chapter from Dale Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends & Influence People, he has a chapter titled, "Give a Dog a Good Name."  I believe its message is perfect for the first day of school and continuing throughout the year.  Carnegie (1936) in his book talks about Mrs. Ruth Hopkins, a fourth-grade teacher in Brooklyn, New York.  When she looked at her roster the first day of school, her excitement and joy of starting a new term was tinged with anxiety.  In her class this year she would have Tommy T., the school's most notorious "bad boy."  His third-grade teacher had constantly complained about Tommy to colleagues, the principal and anyone else who would listen.  He was not just mischievous; he caused serious discipline problems in the class.

Mrs. Hopkins decided to face the "Tommy problem" immediately.  When she greeted her new students, she made little comments to each of them: "Rose, that's a pretty dress you are wearing," "Alicia, I hear you draw beautifully." When she came to Tommy, she looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Tommy I understand you are a natural leader.  I'm going to depend on you to help me make this class the best class in the fourth grade this year." She reinforced this over the first few days by complimenting Tommy on everything he did and commenting on how this showed what a good student he was.  With that reputation to live up to, even a nine-year-old couldn't let her down - and he didn't.  If you want to excel in that difficult leadership role of changing the attitude or behavior of others, give the other person a fine reputation to live up to. (p. 224 -225).

As a teacher you have several choices when students cause problems, you can embarrass them or yell at them, but that just usually causes them to resent you.  You can remove them from your room, but that only solves the problem temporarily.  You can threaten them, but that usually just relinquishes your authority to another person.  Or you could have a "heart-to-heart" with them and remember that a child will do anything for you if they know you care about them and believe they have some kind of ability.  I believe you know by now that I will support and assist you with our students any way I can, but nothing is more powerful than your relationships with your students.  Build that relationship on day one and help us reach our mission of making our Cubs successful leaders..... we are CUBS, nothing less than MY SUCCESS.  Thank you for all you do.

SUCCESS - peace of mind which is the direct result of knowing you did the best of which you are capable. - John Wooden (UCLA Basketball Coach & High School English Teacher)

James