Love for Everyone
By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins
In a world of turmoil and upheaval it seems difficult to talk about love since most people are so mean to each other through words and deeds. People are hurting. People are sad, frustrated and discouraged. It hardly seems possible for there to be Valentine’s Day. The word “love” can be misused and misunderstood. Love is on my mind simply because we celebrated Valentine’s season a few weeks ago and since it is so commercialized I can’t help but think of it. With the constant ads, 
it appears as if it is simply lip service.
We also recently celebrated Civil Right’s leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and one of his primary objectives was to get more equal treatment for all Americans, not just white Americans. Which in essence, was to show love for everyone. All we need is love of life and self. Lack of love is also one of the reasons students bully each other in the classroom. Students find it easy to give evil for evil instead of responding with kindness even when someone gets under their skin. Yes, that is so difficult to do, as our inner selves are weak and we want to lash back. We must understand that people who are usually mean and nasty have dark, deep wounds in their lives. Love is mentioned several times in the Bible, as in Matthew 22:35-39 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love is necessary for the students, especially when we are trying to be sensitive to the students’ needs – the things we say, how we say it, when we say it or in front of a class or group of people. According to Julia G. Thompson, in an article titled How to Show Your Students That You Care About Them, Thompson suggests how to show love in the classroom. The following are some of her suggestions: –
- Set responsible behavior limits for everyone, and be fair when you enforce these limits.
- Use a kind voice when you speak with your students.
- Listen to all of your students. Encourage them to share ideas and opinions.
- If one of your students is in the newspaper for something positive, clip out the article and display it.
- Stress the things that you and your students have in common: goals, dreams, and beliefs.
- When a student speaks to you, stop and listen.
- Respond to emails from your students promptly and courteously.
- When you display student work, don’t just display the best. Display everyone’s work.
- Make it very clear to your students that you want to help them achieve their dreams.
- Ask about a student’s family. If you know someone is ill, show your concern.
- Show your sense of humor. Laugh when funny things happen in class—especially when they happen to you.
- Speak to every student each day. Leave no one out of class discussions.
- Write notes to your students. Use plenty of stickers, and write positive comments on their papers.
- Make a positive phone call home when a student’s effort is paying off.
- Pay attention to your students’ health. If students need to go to the nurse, send them. When students have to miss several days because of illness, call to see how they are doing, or send a get-well card. Be prompt in sending work to the student’s home
- Use this sentence to convey your concern: “What can I do to help you?”
- Talk with students when you notice a change in their behavior. For example, if a normally serious student is neglecting his or her work, find out why.
- Take the time to tell your students what you like about them.
As educators, we can change the atmosphere in a classroom to a world of love and kindness. Rumi once said that, “Love is the bridge between you and everything.” Frankly speaking, I believe that some of our students don’t get love at home, so they might be seeking love from our classroom. “Let’s show love!
Work Cited
Thompson, Julia G. (2019). Teaching Monster, http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/10210-how-to-show-your-students-that-you-care-about-them