YOU MATTER!

"You matter" might look like two words put together. You might think, "yea, okay...I matter." However, it's so much more than this.

Before I get into this blog post, I want to thank Angela Maiers for inspiring this post. She doesn't know me and I don't know her per se, but that's why the Internet is beautiful.

What makes an exceptional teacher is the connection he/she has with his/her students. Without a connection, it doesn't really matter what is taught.

What makes a good person, is not the talent, job, money, or possessions one has. What makes a good person is someone who recognizes the people who matter, who thank those who help him/her, who knows that other people matter and acknowledges them. It's someone who not only works hard and passionately, but recognizes others who do the same.

My students matter. They matter to me, to each other, and to people around them. How else could their confidence grow? How else could they truly be successful? Mattering is the easy part. Students and all of the human race need to be recognized, something that we often do not think about.

In a class of 23 students, each student matters differently. It's recognizing a student who is working with a student needing help, without me asking. It's acknowledging a student who struggles with remembering what is learned day-to-day, when he/she connects to something learned the day before, to a current read-aloud.  It's taking the time and recognizing those students.  It's modeling this behavior constantly. It's understanding that recognition is the key to success.

"YOU MATTER" is my behavior system in class. There are no prizes or extrinsic rewards. When recognized, students get a token to put in our class bag and a stamp on their hand to show their parents. Tokens are pulled to help with classroom responsibilities. 

I wouldn't be the teacher I am today without certain people in my life. They know who they are, because I've told them that...they matter. And, thank you to those incredible professionals who have recognized me, because... I know that I matter.