A long time ago I noticed something when I looked in the
mirror. Devoid of any effort to smile, I
looked unhappy, concerned, troubled, and a person to avoid. Hard to accept when
you consider yourself a “people person” and you expound on the value of
relationships and connecting with others. In that moment I realized I needed to
change how people could perceive me with something that was readily in my
control – a smile. It takes practice if that’s not your normal state. No one
wants to see a forced smile through gritted teeth, or a maniacal grin. But
here’s what else I noticed. When my mouth smiled, so did my eyes (stop reading
here and go try it with your mirror). I instantly became more approachable.
In our profession as educators, we encounter many situations
where we can reduce tension or fear by simply having a warm, inviting smile. As
author William Arthur Ward reminds us, “a warm smile is the universal language
of kindness.” I’d like to propose that we all practice this important skill and
remember to do it every day, and especially when we’re in the company of our
students. Go ahead get on a grinning streak. It will improve your face value
and generate benefits well beyond that.
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