Thanks for Talking

Mrs. Willis asked me yesterday if I was going to write about communication in my blog for this week. She was right. That topic has consumed much of our jobs in the front office lately. Getting parents, students and teachers to communicate often solves the majority of problems in a school. 99% of the time, both parties can come to realize that we are all here for the same reason and that no one is out "to get" the other party. Without communication, we often assume the worst and become defensive. We build up situations in our heads and make mountains out of mole hills.

Greene Central's administrators, counselors, front office staff and so many of you have been helping facilitate conversations lately about student performance in school. We are at that point in the semester when we get the ever-annoying question, "What can I do to pass?" Every educator has that sarcastic answer in the back of their minds ready to go, but what we really end up doing is communicating about the problem. We speak with parents, coaches, family and community members to find what motivates students to finish what we started. The process can be frustrating, but without the communication, no progress takes place.

Thank you to all of you that help facilitate the daily communication for our students and our school. Whether you are the one that found the correct number to call a student's mother, translated for a Spanish-speaking family or counseled a student that only listens to your voice, you made communication work and gave a student a shot at success.