5 Quick Rituals for a Better Day

Really Listen to the Answer When You Ask, “How Are You?”

The minutes of the day tick by so ferociously that it’s easy to disregard how others are feeling. But asking, “How are you?” with warmth and compassion can lift your spirits. I stand at my classroom door each morning greeting students with that simple question, and I pay attention to their words or expressions to see if something is wrong. When that’s the case, I try to find out exactly what’s going on and let them know I care. Hopefully it means as much to them as it does to me.

Laurie DeAnglis has been an educator since 1994 and currently teaches kindergarten in Flemington, New Jersey.