Atomic Teaching Habit #1: Just Smile

I’m sure you’ve heard a version of the advice given to teachers, “Don’t smile unit Christmas.” I think a lot of the teachers I encountered in my life followed this plan. Mrs. Stanton must have been an overachiever because she literally never smiled. I small 6-year-old Miles O’Shea was absolutely terrified of Mrs. Stanton. I literally never saw her smile, and don’t remember anyone else smiling either. My first-grade class was like boot camp for little people. When I think of that room, I have no idea what happened there other than I was terrified of absolutely everything and of ever making a mistake.

Whoever first created the whacko guidance that teachers shouldn’t smile until Christmas didn’t care about kids. Can you imagine telling a mother or father to never smile at their kids? This thinking is wrong, still present in schools today, and needs to be instantly flipped. The rule exists because people believe that this is the way you control others, through fear. And, fear does work for control. But it doesn’t work for creating the type of joyful learning environments that students need. You can get anyone to do anything through building warm, trusting relationships through the demonstration of care

The first school habits tip is to smile all the time. You should literally be bursting with joy in your classroom. And if things are happening that you don’t love, smile anyway. I’m serious about smiling when bad things are happening. Smiling actually releases brain chemicals that reduce stress, making you happier and more confident. Research in affective neuroscience shows that positive emotion increases engagement and memory retention (Immordino-Yang, 2016). Smiling then has the same effect on students. Picture a room full of smiling people and then one full of angry looks. Which one would you want to be hanging out in?

You and your students were sent to that classroom space to have fun. You can’t learn without having fun. Fun and enjoyment exponentially create an environment where more learning can and will happen. We know that emotion and learning are tied together. We know that when students enjoy themselves, feel comfortable and supported, and like what they’re doing, they learn more. And I know that the teacher is the number one component in determining all of those things.

So the first habit of the great teacher is to smile. Smile all the time. Be on a mission to be happy and to make your students happy. When you smile you take the first step to creating a joyous space where everyone, including you, wants to be.

In this series, I’ll present a single teaching habit. By adopting this habit, you make one small change. The challenge is to put this habit into practice right away. when you talk to students, remember to smile. When you’re in a hard spot with a challenging student, smile. Always remember that you’re at school to have fun and start smiling all them time!

Thanks for being here. My name is Miles O’Shea, and I’m on a mission to help teachers and students change education. With over 20 years in education, I know how the small things can add up to big changes and great learning experiences.

Let’s grow together.
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