The beauty of showing concern

For two years and a half, I have been teaching and my daily schedule has always been go to class, deliver the content prepared for that day and immediately move out. There has neither been time for jokes nor getting to know my students better. Class time has always been class time. In addition, I would not take initiative to find out why a student has missed a lecture or test. After all these are mature people, no need to be on their case. However, the performance and teacher-student relationship was not the best.

So this semester starts, I enter class and decide to dedicate the first 30 minutes to know more about my students, where they come from and why their performance is not good. I could not believe, the impact this put on the class and myself. For the first time, I received a “thank you for lecturing us” from students at the end of the lecture.

Going forward, I view a class room as a place to help students relax so they can learn and get them to buy into how I approach the class. I want my students to grow and see how learning can be connected to things they already know. I purpose to know my students and the lives they live; actively listen to them and get feedback.

In life, it is the smallest caring gestures that often have a huge impact. Every day we live is a day to show one small gesture at a time—from being friendly at work, to yielding for another car in traffic, to showing gratitude to someone who helped us. A kind look can revitalize someone’s day. A hug can bring warmth and strength. It’s the little things that make people feel loved and happy—that empower them to change, to move on, to believe. They’re the things that get noticed, that make a difference, that matter most.

Be Distinct

 

I attended New Year’s Eve and Distinction was the word of the year. According to the English dictionary, Distinction means “excellence that sets someone or something apart from others”. For over three weeks, I have been thinking to myself “how am I going to be distinct, unique, separate, different etc.?. Regardless of the so much knowledge gained from school for the last 20 years, I could not figure out the answer. Later, I realized that to be distinct you don’t need to have a lot of money, a mansion, a thousand followers etc. It just requires you to make a choice. Here are the avenues I discovered to exhibit distinction.

1. Work place

2. Home or family

3. Church

Someone may be wondering how do I be distinct at church, the work place or in a home? Below are some of the things you can choose to do uniquely;

• Keep time: this entails so many things ranging from, arriving early at work, meeting all set deadlines, delivering results etc. Remember “activity is not necessarily accomplishment; John. C. Maxwell.” it is very easy to be busy and yet you have no results or achievements to show. Avoid that.  Being at the office and arriving on time also builds trust and provides peace of mind.

• Don’t gossip: when all other members collect to talk or gossip about others, choose not to participate. Let them know that it is not right. Choose to be courteous and friendly to coworkers, managers and customers such that office life is made more pleasant.

• Be reliable and relevant: Whenever you are needed to perform a task, be ready, available and willing to get the job done, effectively and done well. Be an employee who seeks out quality work for the company and eagerly desires to go above and beyond your normal duties to bring  success/growth to the company.

• Take responsibility: Error is to human therefore making errors may or may not cause great problems with a project or with the company, but as an employee you honestly and earnestly need to explain an oversight or mistake  made. This indicates that you value your integrity and the trust your employer has in you.

• Be self driven or self management; do the right thing at the right time and in the right place. For example, when overloaded with work, expend extra effort rather than passing it on to others. Also, when confronted with a difficult problem, seek solutions before giving up and asking for help.
• Quality time: spending time with family can happen anywhere. It’s about making the most of the time you spend together. Utilize everyday time together to talk and share for example, family meals and car travel can be great times to catch up on the day; have one-on-one chats with each family member to strengthen individual relationships; make decisions together about what to do for special events like birthdays etc.

• Positive communication: Take time to listen to each other, listening without judgment, and being open to expressing your own thoughts and feelings. Where there is positive communication, everybody feels understood, respected and valued, and this strengthens relationships.Show appreciation, love and encouragement through words and affection. When a  child or partner wants to talk, stop what you’re doing and listen with full attention.

• Team work: working as a team makes everyone feel supported and able to contribute. For example; share household chores, work together to solve problems etc.

• Appreciate others; make time to go to each other’s sporting events, drama performances, art shows and so on.