The Power of One Conversation

I believe in the power of one conversation.

Be it with a friend, a family member, or (especially) a child, the words that color one conversation can have an everlasting impact.

Take, for instance, the last conversation I ever had with my father.  I'll never forget it.

Another example is a conversation my mom had with my siblings and me not long after the conversation with my father:  "We can get through this... together."

There was a time my third grade teacher told me, "Jessie... You can DO anything.  You can BE anything."  (It was at that moment, fueled by that conversation, that I decided I wanted to be just like her and affect children's lives the way she had affected mine.)

My mom and third grade teacher may or may not remember those conversations, but I will never forget them.  It was in these simple, succinct conversations that I built a foundation upon which all of my successes could be born.  Conversations can be powerful.  And if you know anything about children, you know they have a tendency to breathe in, to soak up every single word you say.

As an educator, I don't take conversations lightly.  It may very well be a, "Good morning!  So glad you're here!" or a "WOW!  Look at those new shoes!" or even a "How'd the football game/soccer game/dance recital go?"  These simple statements can provoke a conversation that lets a child know how much you care.  In the fast-paced world of education, we tend to skip, hop, and jump through curriculum (and we sometimes have to!) without stopping to treat children as...well... children.

During the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, don't underestimate that what you say to a child today may be remembered for the next twenty years.  Don't take for granted how important your words are to those tiny bodies around you.  And don't forget how powerful one conversation can be.

What will you say to a child today that impacts the rest of his/her life?

Don't Forget!
-December 7th:  Fluency Training for 3-5 7:30am-8:30am
-December 14th:  Benika Thompson Visits to Discuss Science 9:45am
-December 17th:  4th Grade Content Specific Writing Scores Due in Moodle
-January 13th:  Moore Elementary Spelling Bee (for 5th graders)
-January 14th:  2nd Quarter Testing (Science)
-January 18th:  2nd Quarter Testing (Reading)
-January 19th:  Title I Literacy Breakfast
-January 19th:  2nd Quarter Testing (Math With a Calculator)
-January 20th:  2nd Quarter Testing (Math Without a Calculator)
-Week of January 24th:  DIBELS MOY Benchmark Assessments
-January 26th-28th:  Moore Elementary Science Fair (for 5th graders)