Visitors

We had a group of visiting teachers spend the day with us at school this past Tuesday. While Tuesday visitors are a regular part of our week, this group traveled all the way from Manitoba, Canada. Having groups of teachers come in to observe our school and our classrooms with the expectation of seeing things that are both new and exciting can really keep you on your toes. Especially when they’ve invested so much time and money to do so.

There was a time early in the year when I really wanted to make certain that I was doing my “best” teaching on Tuesday mornings so that the visitors wouldn’t be disappointed. Or, worse yet, so they wouldn’t compare me unfavorably to the other classrooms they had visited. I’m certain there have been times when this has happened but no one has ever mentioned anything to me. It’s true what they say, you know – ignorance is bliss.

I’ve since gotten over the need to impress. I now teach as though Tuesdays were any other day. In fact, they are. We’ve reached a point where the kids and I scarcely even notice the small groups coming in to watch, scribble in their notepads, and occasionally snap a photo or two. For the most part they’ve become part of the scenery.

Having outsiders come in does have its benefits. For one, it provides us an opportunity to look more closely at ourselves through the eyes of others. After each visit, a few of us spend some time during lunch debriefing with our guests. The first question asked is always “What did you notice as you were walking through the classrooms?” Most times the responses will have something to do with the kids’ vocabularies or the classroom discussions taking place. Other times they’ll note how engaged the kids are or call attention to the projects they see the kids sharing. But my favorite observations, by far, are the ones that speak to the feeling you get when you are in the building.

On Tuesday, when asked to share what they noticed during their visit, the first words out of our Canadian visitors’ mouths was:

“This building is just full of love.”

Wow! I doubt there’s a bigger compliment anyone could ever offer than that. Certainly, no talk of instructional strategies, architecture, or test results could possibly compare to such a powerful statement. They went on to further explain.

“Everything and everyone is just so welcoming. When I walked into the classrooms the kids looked up at me and asked ‘Do you want to read with me?’ And they didn’t even know me. The kids are so trusting- you can really tell how great the relationships are between the kids and adults.”

I think back now to the times I’ve been involved at other schools with developing a “School Improvement Plan.” Funny, but amidst the talk about new reading programs and faculty committees, I don’t remember anyone ever mentioning anything about the need for love and trust and warmth. No one thought to suggest that we reach out in sincere ways to our students and families to make our school seem like a second home to them. Or to us.
Too bad, because if they, too, could make a Tuesday morning visit they would see that it’s most important place to start.