The Power of a Smile
“I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish.” – Mother Teresa
I just read The 43 Habits of Absolutely Happy People by Brendan Baker and I found myself actively participating in habit #2 – smiling. Then I came across an article in Psychology Today by Sarah Stevenson that reports smiling activates the “feel good neurotransmitters” dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. These are the chemicals that relax our bodies, lower our heart rates, and decrease our blood pressure. Not only that, smiling actually is contagious. The part of our brain that is responsible for smiling is in the cingulate cortex which is “an unconscious automatic response area.” When you see someone smile, it is an automatic reaction to smile back. Research shows that it is extremely difficult not to engage with someone who offers you a smile. You have to make a conscious effort NOT to smile in return. A simple smile makes a connection that can be a powerful tool.
Set the Tone for Learning – Smile
Think about it. As we are striving to build an inclusive classroom community and make our students feel that they belong, this is one quick, easy, and cost-effective way to start. When our children come in the door, make a conscious effort to greet them with a smile. Speak to each one and let them know you are glad to see them. We all need to feel accepted, and being greeted with a smile is a great way to validate someone. For many students, school is a place that focuses on negativity and competition – a place they have to be. It is also the place where they are constantly measured, assessed, and faced with an enormous amount of pressure “to do well.” All this is dumped on their already weighted down backs to carry along with their backpacks. And we wonder why we have so many disengaged apathetic students. Our children spend a huge percentage of their day at school, so they need to feel that it is a safe place where they are valued. The way we start each day sets the tone. Maybe a simple smile might just help set the tone for learning to take place.
Smile Studies – Who Knew?
The thought of this intrigued me, so I began searching for more information about the power of smiling. Instantly I ran across this TED Talk video by Ron Gutman. I was absolutely mesmerized as I listened to this speaker, writer, CEO and founder of HealthTap share numerous studies about the benefits of smiling. Please take the time to click this link and listen to The Hidden Power of Smiling. I guarantee it will trigger your “feel good neurotransmitters.”
The Smile Connection
So, let’s think about it. If we smile at our students, their brains tell them to smile back. We activate our “feel good neurotransmitters” and as a result – we both are improving our lives physically, mentally, and emotionally. Maybe we can improve the quality of our learning too. Wow! Who knew a smile was so powerful?
