Skip to Main Content

Smile for an A+

January 07, 2019 - 4 minute read


A woman smiling.

Xmen

After dedicating myself to middle school students for over two decades, I have found the power of a teacher’s smile. Every year I have 120 students each trimester; that makes 360 students per year for two decades. I simply love middle schoolers. To me they are like little X-Men heroes, so unaware of their powers. And like Professor Xavier, I help them discover and shape their powers.

Middle school students are in a stage of psychological and physiological pandemonium, or as some researchers have described it, “Early adolescence has received much attention by researchers as a period of major distress”( Zarrett & Eccles, 2006, p. 13). After two decades of interacting, teaching, and socializing with middle school students, I have come to one conclusion: they will do anything for your smile. Yes, Teacher, the middle school student, whose energy is fueled predominantly by external motivation, will do anything and everything to earn the smile that only you carry.

Powerless

After my first decade of teaching middle school students, I realized how powerless I felt in the classroom of 35 students, year after year. Disrespectful behavior started to escalate, yet again, and all my rules and office notes, were simply ineffective. I was desperate and needed to do something before I lost the entire class so early in the year. A number of questions ran through my desperate mind. What can I possibly do to have them respect me, their peers, and the classroom? How will I get them to do their work? How will I get them to interact with their group about the subject matter? Finally, I stepped outside my training and thought, “What is it that I possess, that no one else has?” I realized that I possess my smile, my kind words, my gaze, and my teeth to flash as a trophy for someone’s excellent behavior. I was out of ideas and books were not helping me. In my gut, I knew this would work because I was not a teacher who smiled a lot to begin with. In my mind, I thought, no one has my smile, but me. I also thought to myself, “In order to teach them, I have to use everything I possess to gain their respect.”

Smile Power

This smiling power began one Tuesday afternoon. I felt so disrespected in one of my English classes, I could not stand in front of the class another day feeling defeated by a group of middle school students. I thought, “Who do they think they are and how dare they speak to me this way? I’m bigger, I’m smarter, am I not?” I made up my mind that I would not smile at this class for an entire week. In addition, my tone would be monotonous and direct. My tone had to be neutral, and clearly defined as with no emotion. I kept my smile from the entire class for an entire week. Not one grin, not one smile, and absolutely no teeth! The result?

Absolute attention and focus. I could see them looking at my face and my expressions. They were desperately searching for approval through my tone, my words, my eyes, and my smile. But I gave nothing in return. Yes, those who turned in homework and who were on task constantly looked to see if they were making me happy. All I said in the most monotonous tone was, “Thank you, Mr. Smith, for completing your work and working so well with your group. You may leave one minute early for water and bathroom break. Have a good day. Good bye!” Although all the words were positive, and he received a reward, I could see he still felt unsatisfied and disconnected.

What did I do afterwards?

Slowly, and only with those who were always on task and completing their work, did I start to gradually smile with my lips closed. Then came the progression to teeth as the entire class learned about respect through a document I drafted. The document gave specific examples of what respect looks like inside the classroom, towards the teacher, and towards each other. They were taught that respect was earned, not simply expected. Even I, as a teacher, had to work hard to earn their respect because they were important to me. Being the teacher did not give me the right for respect; however, just as I worked for their respect, they would have to work for my respect. The document stated in detail what they could do to earn my respect. I am sure teachers reading know what their own expectations in the classroom are. Students copied every word as it was read aloud to them.

I end with a smile and wish that all teachers use their own power wisely, as with lots of power comes responsibility. Please feel free to email me any questions, professional developments, and/or lectures at [email protected]

Sofia Kind is currently an Ed.D. candidate at Concordia University Irvine.

References

Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). “Schools as Developmental Contexts During Adolescence.” Journal Of Research On Adolescence (Wiley-Blackwell), 21(1), 225-241. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x

Tomlinson, C. A. (2011). “Respecting Students.” Educational Leadership, 69(1), 94-95.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2015). “The Caring Teacher's Manifesto.” Educational Leadership, 72(6), 89-90.

Upadyaya, K., & Eccles, J. S. (2014). “How Do Teachers' Beliefs Predict Children's Interest in Math From Kindergarten to Sixth Grade?” Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 60(4), 403-430.

Back to top