Have you ever been seated at a restaurant that wasn’t very busy, and then waited and waited for your waitperson to recognize and greet you? By the time he stopped to take your order, you no longer felt a need to be courteous or polite; you felt slightly irritated and ignored. Perhaps the rest of the meal was less enjoyable, all because of the lack of connection that you wished for when you sat down.
It’s not much different for young children when they enter the classroom. Being greeted with genuine concern and affection helps create a tone that hopefully carries throughout the day.
What does a genuine greeting look like? Notice in this short clip how the teacher mentions the child by name, says something about the child that leads to conversation, gets down to the child’s level, and gives the child affirming, loving touches.
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