I read this article on a blog over the weekend, and I felt it was perfect for our Monday motivator! Before we know it August will be here and with that comes FIRST…and LASTING impressions. I have been walking the building the last week and am so impressed by the time many of you are already putting into your rooms. I love the color, posters, and warmth they are radiating…that’s a great first step to earning some “raving fans” from our kids and parents. Our building, and classroom are so important, for first…and lasting impressions. If they walk in an feel “at home” then we have done our job. No one likes sterile environments…unless you are in the hospital! J Since you have a little time left before the chaos begins, I wanted you to start thinking just HOW you are going help create RMS raving fans. What is your classroom going to look like….feel like…sound like…etc??? Is it noisy because students are engaged…then that is great…or is it because you need to make sure you have routines in place to bring order, and allow high levels of learning to take place? Our main goal is to get student buy-in…foster the relationship first…and you will find it is a lot easier to accomplish everything else! Now is the time for the creative wheels to start spinning…if they are anything like mine…they never stopped! Enjoy the blog…I changed it a bit to make it a little more “RMS-ified”. Hope you are enjoying your time off, and thanks for tuning in! Have a marvelous Monday team…you have already made quite the LASTING impression on me!!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Why First Impressions Matter
Jimmy Casas
When I was little, my parents always made me introduce myself to their adult friends or guests whenever I was with them. I never quite understood why. Afterwards, they would give me feedback on how I had handled the introduction. I usually received comments such as “you didn’t shake hands”, “don’t look down, look them in the eye”, “smile when you greet them”, and “don’t’ say huh, say excuse me.” This was a routine that would become common practice through my teen years. Eventually, it became my mode of operation. So much so, that when I had my own children, I did what many of us do, I kidnapped my parent’s practices and made them my own. To this day, I always remind my children to introduce themselves and then proceed to tell them what to do and what not to do when meeting someone for the first time. However, no longer does it seem like a chore to me or even routine. I finally figured out what my parents were trying to instill in me; that you get one chance to make a first impression so make it count. Over the years I watched my parents go out of their way time and time again to make their guests feel appreciated and treat them as though they were the most important people in the world. To this day, I do my best to live up to that standard.
We approach the application process with the intention of establishing a meaningful relationship and an emphasis on making a positive first impression. As RMS, we are going to be an organization that expects excellence in everything we do, it is critical that we reach out to our students and parents as though they are the most important guests that ever walked through our school doors. Our mindset is simple; we want every student, parent, and colleague, that walks through our front doors, to reflect back on their experience with us and say, “I wish I could work/go to school at Ryon Middle School. They are first class!”
As leading educators, we must be purposeful in modeling the behaviors we expect of our students and parents and set the standard for how we do business in our schools from the very first introductions starting on August 8th. By doing so, we are setting the bar high for a positive and productive first year!
Ask yourself, how do you positively greet your students, parents, and each other on a daily basis? If asked, what would they say about you or us as they leave our building? My expectation is that they in awe…at all the amazing things we have going on!
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