Welcome, welcome, welcome... How many times have we heard that said to us? It is so much more than the formalities of just saying the polite words at the appropriate times. Feeling welcomed is exactly that, a feeling. Making someone feel welcomed means that consideration was taken in how an interaction was to have taken place. It is interesting to me that the corporate world has recognized that being made to feel welcomed is a valuable experience. We hold it to such a value that It is an experience one is willing to pay for. In chapter 2, we learned that large corporations such as the Ritz Carlton Hotels have designed their training of customer service representatives to provide an experience to their clients that will make them feel welcomed. (Fisher, Frey,, and Pumpian) The idea of being made to feel welcomed is providing an experience at a human level. After all, we are emotional beings. We connect everyday life experiences with emotions. We regularly decide how much we like or dislike a place, an item, a person, or even a company by how we felt at the time of interaction we had with them. We remember how the greeted, their tone of voice, the length of interaction, and even rate how much time or trouble they allowed for us. It is true that first impressions are lasting. Even I can think of a few businesses or places I have had to visit for one reason or another, and left feeling as if they hurt my feelings. The action could even have been something that lasted only seconds, but if we didn't like the feeling, we remember. Thinking about this concept of being made to feel welcome also made me think of the workplace. Just as clients, colleagues also want to feel welcomed. They want to feel included and valued as part of the organization or team. We seek validation, acceptance, and to be made to feel welcomed. So thinking back to the simple word, "Welcome," I am reminded of the quote: "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." -C. Buehner (Maya Angelou is also credited for sharing this quote.)
My commitments to welcoming my students:
When I consider my school site with this idea of making someone to feel welcomed, I immediately thought of my students. Currently, in my own sphere of influence I definitely have an impact on my students and their experience, so I take the time to make eye-contact and greet each one every morning. At the end of the day, we leave each other with a hug or high-five. (They often choose the hug.) I am mindful of my tone and my words. Being polite is important as well. Not only am I modeling good manners,but I want them to always remember how that type of interaction made them feel. I also use thank you and please when asking to do anything at all. After learning about this pillar of creating culture, I am hopeful that one day they will look back and feel that I was someone who made them feel welcomed.
Welcoming families and students through the leadership perspective:
Although we haven't been formally asked to treat students this way, my school site just seems to already be a positive friendly environment. Our school is motto: "With each day comes new strengths..." We do focus on discovering personal strengths through strengths identifying testing. It is one way we focus on the individual child. As a school leader, I think it is important to find ways to personalize a child's experience. I would strive to hold expectations at a level where students not only have opportunity to learn what their strengths are, but also showcase them through project based learning experiences, talent shows, or personalized research projects. It would be important to do the same with the staff as well in order to foster the culture of acceptance and celebration of one's individual strengths. What better way to make someone feel welcomed than by acknowledging the person for who they are?
As far as extending the welcome to the parents and the community, it would mean there would have to be a deliberate effort to build that experience. It isn't just the office staff who should have that responsibility, but everyone beginning with the school principal. I am fortunate to be at a school where administration is often crossing children in the crosswalks after school and escorting them to their parent's cars! I think that is a special connection and definitely has a positive impact. Building that positive welcoming environment is extremely important.
References: Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Pumpian. I. (2012). How to Create a Culture of Achievement In Your Schools and Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
My commitments to welcoming my students:
When I consider my school site with this idea of making someone to feel welcomed, I immediately thought of my students. Currently, in my own sphere of influence I definitely have an impact on my students and their experience, so I take the time to make eye-contact and greet each one every morning. At the end of the day, we leave each other with a hug or high-five. (They often choose the hug.) I am mindful of my tone and my words. Being polite is important as well. Not only am I modeling good manners,but I want them to always remember how that type of interaction made them feel. I also use thank you and please when asking to do anything at all. After learning about this pillar of creating culture, I am hopeful that one day they will look back and feel that I was someone who made them feel welcomed.
Welcoming families and students through the leadership perspective:
Although we haven't been formally asked to treat students this way, my school site just seems to already be a positive friendly environment. Our school is motto: "With each day comes new strengths..." We do focus on discovering personal strengths through strengths identifying testing. It is one way we focus on the individual child. As a school leader, I think it is important to find ways to personalize a child's experience. I would strive to hold expectations at a level where students not only have opportunity to learn what their strengths are, but also showcase them through project based learning experiences, talent shows, or personalized research projects. It would be important to do the same with the staff as well in order to foster the culture of acceptance and celebration of one's individual strengths. What better way to make someone feel welcomed than by acknowledging the person for who they are?
As far as extending the welcome to the parents and the community, it would mean there would have to be a deliberate effort to build that experience. It isn't just the office staff who should have that responsibility, but everyone beginning with the school principal. I am fortunate to be at a school where administration is often crossing children in the crosswalks after school and escorting them to their parent's cars! I think that is a special connection and definitely has a positive impact. Building that positive welcoming environment is extremely important.
References: Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Pumpian. I. (2012). How to Create a Culture of Achievement In Your Schools and Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.