“The most important thing in the room are the people in the room. So, we begin with the people in the room. That’s why we do Smiles and Frowns. Every period. Every day. No exceptions.”

Yesterday, I wrote about drawing lines, indicating that the lines we draw are changeable constructs, lines in the sand that can shift, disappear, and be redrawn. And while I believe my own words, I also believe there are some lines that should be barriers with no budge. For me, one of those lines is the Smiles and Frowns line. Yesterday, I drew that line. I introduced Smiles and Frowns to my kiddos.

For those who don’t know, Smiles and Frowns is an activity that we use to start our day. Each in the room has an opportunity to share a smile and/or a frown from their days. But sharing is not required. Importantly, kids always have the right to pass. Listening, however, is required, for it as much about learning your peers as it is about sharing yourselves. So we listen, we share, we learn. We acknowledge and honor the people in the room. It is the most important thing I do. So, I do it. Without fail.

Last year, I invested over a thousand minutes in Smiles and Frowns. This year I will do the same. We had our first go yesterday. It was a little clunky and awkward, but that will soon change as we settle in to our community in the coming days. And while the coming days will bring plenty of content to the table, the content is secondary to the people at the table. Content matters. People matter more. That’s my talk. Smiles and Frowns is my walk. People matter.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…complete our “Meet Me” activity.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.