Here’s a tip culled from the classroom. Telling people nice things is the best fremium model there is. All teachers have examples of this. I’d like to share one of my favorites. It goes back several years to when I was assigning classroom jobs like stacking the books, sorting the library, and wiping down the iPads. A few students pointed out I had left someone off the job list. So, I turned to the student and told him his new job – to bring in good news. It was a new class job for them, but a simple and hopefully an effective one. And the boy was an optimist by nature, so I thought it would be the perfect thing for us all.
Well, the first day he forgot that he had to deliver us some good news. So, I said, the good news is you can try again tomorrow. Just bring a piece of good news, I reassured him. I expected it would be a newspaper clipping or something, but no matter, anything you want. He forgot the next day, too. So I said, the good news is you can tell us tomorrow – no worries. I even gave him a copy of the local paper. But he kept forgetting. He needed a more concrete example. OK, I said. He liked baseball. I asked him his favorite team. The Marlins, he said. I opened the paper. Ok, super, they won last night. That’s great, right? Sure is! he said. And then … well… he forgot to bring good news the next day.
I kept reminding him there will always be good news, but I was definitely getting a little worried this wasn’t working. Finally, after two more days without good news he came in with some good news. What is it, I asked. He got up in front of the class. Well, he said, laughing. I kind of forgot. He sat down. There was silence. Was that it? Thanks for sharing, I said, confused. Class ended. So, tell me, what was the good news, I asked him after lunch. He was a precocious kid. I’d tell you, he said, but I literally forgot. He wouldn’t budge. Seriously, I forget the bad news. He beamed – that’s great news, isn’t it?
I never gave up on him bringing in good news, but I won’t lie, I had the very teacherly fear of asking for too much. But he came through in the end. And, he had a really great school year after that, teaching me just as much: no bad news really is good news – who can argue that?
I want to share that example in light of an pretty important consideration – that good, positive, never-stop believing communication is the simplest, most cost effective way to get students to succeed.
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