The Custodian Made Them Walk: School as a Community!
The other day I was on my way to pick up my students from Special. Our custodian, older gentleman, was speaking to two kindergartners.
He stated firmly, "Ok, now walk down the hall."
The two kindergartners looked at him, looked at me, and began walking.
He turned to me, shaking his head, and said, "They were running down the hallway!"
I said, "Good for you. They could have hurt themselves."
Another adult might have watched those kids run, and thought, "They're not my kids."
Too often, our school is just that, a school. A place where everyone has a position, and they don't budge from it.
The custodians clean, administrators lead, lunch staff serves lunch, teachers teach etc...
But it shouldn't be that way, we should all be involved in the well-being of our students. Not just the ones in our classroom, but the students in our school.
I speak to every student I see in the hallway, even if they don't answer. Sometimes, I get a big, cheery, hello. Other times the eyes are averted, or downcast, and a squeak of a hello comes