In a previous post, Connect With Kids in the Context and Confines of the Classroom, I wrote about the importance of having at least one meaningful interaction with every student every class period. But what I didn't mention is that it's also important to have a meaningful interaction with all students as they enter class.

I did this by greeting each student with my signature salutation, "Peace and love," followed by the student's name. And middle school math teacher Marlo Warburton does it her way, as you can see in this video:

There's nothing new about what I'm suggesting here. Many teachers greet students as they enter class, and find that it's a great way to connect with kids and set a positive tone for the class. Why, then, don't more teachers do this?

One reason is that they're doing last-minute preparations for class--getting materials together, writing on the board, pulling up their presentations on the whiteboard, etc. My advice to these teachers is simple: be more organized. (I've shared ideas in previous posts that can help.)

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