What is good about you today?

As a reading specialist I meet with over thirty students of low socio economic means a day in small groups. Thirty minute focused, intentional small reading groups (one to three students a group). They have been identified as the lowest twenty percent of each grade level, those who are academically challenged readers. Each group, each day begins with this simple question (after a woo hoo, welcome, so glad you are here) it is, “What is good about you today?” Good, bad, ugly anything you want me to know? Conversation:

Day 1:

So what is good about you today?

Um, I don’t know.

My good is you are here, you got online, showed up, ready to work?

Yep.

Day 2:

Woo hoo! You showed up, so glad you are here. What is good about you today?

Um, nothing. I don’t know.

My good is you are here, you got online, showed up, ready to work?

yep

Day ?:

Woo hoo! You showed up, so glad you are here. What is good about you today?

I am here. I woke up, ready to work.

Last night I played video games,

went to the store with my mom, ate dinner.

Wow, I am so glad you had a good night,

so glad you are here. You are fabulous.

Ready to work?

Yep.

I love each and every reader. Working with them is an honor, so glad they show up, love when they start to see the good. Seeing the good opens the windows to their soul, allows them to settle in, work, learn, grow.

Last night one of my readers messaged me. Our conversation:

Sorry I have missed the last couple days,

our wifi was down.

It’s on now.

I will see you tomorrow….

My response:

So glad you are ok.

Thanks for messaging me,

missed you.

Took us a lot of days, actual loud, I don’t knows. Until … the good was found, a cat, a flower, wifi…. Now messages when not able to show up, whew, progress, gonna be better than ok. I know life sucks, a lot. Life is hard, especially in a pandemic. For each and every one of us. Yet there is good all around, in us, even on the sucky days. When we find it, acknowledge it, it compounds, opens us up to more goodness.

Yep, it does.

What is your good today? Mine is, you read my words, you are here on this planet, alive. May your day be blessed. May you know how wonderful, beautiful, and what a masterpiece you are.

Love to all.

ML