We are three classroom birthdays into the year and I look more like this happy bear than a grumpy old toad. I admit to being frustrated by the fact that a student's birthday became 27 pairs of eyes staring at some sugary treat and wondering when they could dig in. This caused endless long days and a loss of control that usually led to more people feeling bad about the day than good.
This year has been different. For each birthday, we have taken the time to warm up our voices in a funny way which has brought laughter. We have sang a nice version of happy birthday without having a contest to see who can be silliest. We have spent time complimenting the birthday student with "bucket fillers." I have conducted a birthday interview with half serious and half funny questions so we get to know the student better. Then we have either played a game together or gotten a small non food treat.
Life has been good. I have laughed and enjoyed this time with the birthday student and with our whole team. I have never been happier about having a birthday in the classroom. Students have been honored by their classmates and the celebration has been about them and not a pretty cupcake. Thanks to the parents that honored this and I hope the students have felt special in their own way. I will work to make sure every student gets their own celebration even those with summer birthdays.
My goal in all I do is to fill your students with confidence and cheer them on as they achieve great things. Sometimes those things look a little non-traditional, but everything is done to build up our team and make this year about them growing as young men and women.
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