Using Daily Reminders So They Will Know STUDENTS COUNT!

By Kathy Dunn, CCOSA Director of Professional Development for State and Federal Programs

Four at the Door is a great way to show students that they matter. Each day begins with an engaged student.

To do Four at the Door, the teacher stands at the door and greets their students by including the following suggested points:

Name to Name: The teacher greets the student and uses their name.

Eye to Eye: The teacher isn’t looking at their phone or computer screen. Give the student eye contact to show them you see them as a human and that they matter.

Hand to Hand: The teacher offers some form of appropriate human contact like a high five, a fist bump, a handshake, etc. Keep in mind cultural norms to ensure touch is acceptable and/ or appropriate.

Heart to Heart: The teacher mentions something to the student about their world. For example, the teacher could comment on the new movie that just came out, or last night’s basketball game, or anything that is of interest to that student that shows that they are known and matter.

Extending Four at the Door into the classroom each day allows the teacher to make connections with students that can ignite in them a sense of belonging in the classroom and a passion for learning. That passion for learning builds self-esteem, curiosity, and helps them develop confidence to interact socially with students and staff as well as confidence in themselves as a learner.

The power of a well-timed smile, or a carefully spoken word can change how receptive a student will be to the lessons for the day. “Education” comes from the Greek word “educe” which means “to lead out from within, to raise up.” With all the promise of a new school year ahead, educators may be proud of their role in “leading out and raising up” the young people who are in our schools. ■

Cards with positive messages can be slipped to students to recognize them for making the classroom a better community.

Another example of a classroom greeting to engage with every student at the beginning of the day is shown at Ms. Emily Jordan’s classroom at Soldier Creek Elementary School in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

See, all you really need is one person to show you the epiphany of your own power, and you’re off. If you can hand people the key to their own power—the human spirit is so receptive—if you open doors for people at a crucial moment, you are educating them in the best sense. You are teaching them to open doors for themselves.

—Aimee Mullins, “The Opportunity of Adversity” TEDMED 2009