Ring the Bell!

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to eat lunch (which is rare) at Subway. As a gentlemen left, he rang a bell, indicating that he received good service. I smiled when he rang it as the employee's shouted in appreciation of his gesture. As I got up to leave, I decided that I'd ring the bell too. This isn't something that I typically do and for a moment, I got a little nervous that people in Subway might look at me or think I'm trying to draw attention to myself. I decided to ring it anyway, and the same shouts and "Thank you's" were heard from behind the counter. I smiled as I walked through the door, feeling good for myself, but also, feeling like I had made some else smile too.

This made me think about how we tell people we appreciate them, what they do, and the impact they have on others. Recently, my grandmother passed away. At her funeral, my uncle gave a great speech about the impact she had on him and our family as a whole. I couldn't help but wonder... "Did she know this when she was alive?" Why do we wait until it's too late to tell people we appreciate them? How can we let others know that what they do is important?

As National Assistant Principal's week comes to an end, I think about all the people that helped me along with way, that I never told "Thank you!" to. I'm reminded that being in education is about people, about helping younger people grow into leaders and productive citizens, and that even students need to know when they have done a "good job!". I'm reminded that as an assistant principal, I can have a big impact on the people that I'm surrounded by every day and that I shouldn't take them for granted. Soon, nearly 400 students will leave this building and I'll have a chance to greet and meet 400 new students in the fall. I want to impact all of them and make each and every one feel special. I've got a chance to do that every day in my job and I know that I am extremely lucky and fortunate.

Go out and ring that bell for people you appreciate! In the end, you'll feel good about doing it but more importantly, they'll feel good too knowing they had an impact on YOU!