More Than Words

I did something I don't normally do yesterday - something so simple, yet something that often eludes me in my regular business of teaching and interacting with kids. Something so light and casual, but yet something that carries so much weight and seriousness.

I told a student, "Good job."

I know, right? Me? The one who has adopted the motto, "Fail. Try again. Fail better." The one who will not accept a writing unless it's nearly perfect and will return it over and over again until it is. The one who goes out of his way NOT to give a student a high five or a fist bump in the hallway. Me?

I continued. "I love reading everything that you write. Keep up the good work."

It was brief and to the point. A quick exchange as she came into class from the hallway. I caught her a little off guard, and I think she thought she might have been in trouble. And then, a funny thing happened. Something that I imagined might happen, but perhaps wasn't entirely prepared for.

She smiled.

And, as she walked away, I thought that maybe I had caught myself a little off guard, too. Like when the Grinch hears singing rising up from the valley below, I was suddenly surprised at how important it is to actually compliment a student face to face. How their efforts need to be acknowledged by more than a note at the bottom of the page or an exclamation point after a grade at the top.

Later, the student stopped by my room at the end of the day. "Thanks for the compliment. That was really nice. It made my day."