Wouldn't it be nice to find a simple way to connect with each of your students, one last time, before the year ends? Ideally, we'd write handwritten notes to indicate to each student what we've appreciated about them and what we hope for their futures. But c'mon — that's a LOT of work, both intellectually and emotionally. Whenever I've tried this, I get about four notes in before I start worrying that some of my notes are better than others, that some of my students will barely glance at them before discarding them, or that students will immediately start comparing their note to the notes of their friends.
A near-infinitely simpler method is to set out to have one or two more moments of genuine connection (MGCs) with each student on my roster. For an in-depth discussion of MGCs, see Strategy #1 in The Will to Learn. But for a simple review, here you go:
- Take 30-60 seconds where you pull the student aside, either as they walk into class, as they're doing independent work, or as they're leaving.
- During the 30-60 seconds, you look them in the eye and seek to communicate not just with their mind but with their heart.
- You don't need to say a lot, but with what you say and how you listen, try with all you can muster to indicate to them that you value, know, and respect them.
But what do we talk about in these end of year MGCs? Very simple.
- For one MGC round, tell each individual student something you've appreciated about them this year. Conclude your brief remarks with something like, “It was a privilege to teach you this year” or “I'm glad you were in my class.”
- If you want to overachieve and do a second round of MGCs, start the encounter with this question: What are your plans for the future? Listen to what they say, respond, and wish them the best.
Once you've completed an MGC attempt with a given student, put a check mark next to their name on your printed roster. It doesn't matter how you think the MGC went; it just matters that you attempted it. That's what the check mark means.
I've yet to go through a class roster's worth of MGC attempts without feeling a sense of re-centering in my teacher's soul. And years in to tracking attempted MGCs, I regularly sense the fruits of this simple labor. Not all MGC attempts land in the hearts of a student, but there are always some that do.
Give it a short.
Best,
DSJR
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