I have had many different jobs through the years, many. A good number of these were in retail services and in each of the experiences I have gained some skills and know-how that has served me along the way. Whether it’s folding shirts effectively, choosing a ripe mango, or waxing skis, each of these opportunities has left something with me. The thing that sticks out most prominently is the fact that in all of these customer service oriented enterprises great importance was given by management and in the culture of the organization that an acknowledgement of a customer and a smile to go along with that acknowledgement are crucial. There were policies around the time frame of greeting. Walmart employs people as greeters! There is something to it. That something is the establishment of a positive connection. You feel welcomed, you feel cared about, you spend your money. Simple.

This approach holds true in education as well. Now, to be sure, I am not equating students to customers. Students need far more to learn than a potential customer might need to purchase. But, that greeting, that welcoming, that acknowledgement, that smile is crucial for students. Each and every child that enters a school or classroom needs to hear and see and feel welcomed and acknowledged as they arrive. As they are encountered in a building, it is imperative for principals, teachers, educational assistants to make this happen. That smile, with a hello, with a how are you, is the start of everything. Knowing that not one, but all the adults in a school care about them is how each and every child should understand their experience in school.

They may not be buying something but they’ll be buying in.