Opinion
Recruitment & Retention Opinion

Creating Moments Our Students Will Remember

November 29, 2016 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

By Allison Riddle

After the birth of my second child, I took my beautiful six-week-old daughter in for her first check up. I knew what to expect, but I was surprised at what happened when the doctor came in to join us. He scooped my baby into his arms and nuzzled her into his chest. Then, as he stood swaying from side to side, he said, “So, how are things going?”

No stethoscope, no exam, no blood draw.

“Is there something I need to know?” I asked him. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine,” he laughed. “I just miss this part. I love taking time to cuddle the new ones.”

That day I learned something that made this brilliant doctor much more human to me. He appreciated simply enjoying his patients. I felt cared for and appreciated because we were important people in his life, not just his patients.

As educators, our profession is very different from medicine, but there are parallels. We, too, observe our ‘patients'—we ask them questions and assess their needs. We observe their challenges and analyze evidence and data in order to diagnose and generate action plans for learning problems. We administer tests and use the results to make critical decisions. We prescribe strategies for skill development and recovery. We confer with parents and share with them suggestions for helping their kids develop ‘healthy learning’ habits at home. Indeed, the work we do each day in school is very clinical in nature.

Still, like my daughter’s doctor, I’m often eager to stop and appreciate my own students. I want to put aside the scheduled lessons, drills and formative assessments and just enjoy them as little humans. Sometimes I want to just take in the moment, talk or eat lunch with them, and smile and giggle as they tell stories of their weekend adventure.

The daily demand and depth of instructional practice is such that there seems to be little time for this luxury of basic human interaction, much like in medicine. In recent years, the disproportionate focus on standardized testing has greatly reduced the minutes teachers can spend connecting with students on a more social level. In the elementary grades, far fewer hours are spent on aesthetic experiences involving the arts. The pressures of assessment performance compel teachers to focus most on completing the scheduled set of weekly reading and math lessons and tests. Gone are the days of long art projects, kickball games, or impromptu singing, dancing or dramatic readings. We must always stay on schedule.

I have never forgotten that day when my responsible, respected family doctor took the time to cuddle my new baby and ask how things were going for us. He calmed my fears and gave me a moment of joy watching someone appreciate the perfect baby I had created. Reflecting on this experience, I want to find spaces to do the same as often as needed in my classroom. Let’s all make the moments to ‘cuddle’ our students in a rich discussion, share family stories, ask their opinions, take selfies, dance to music, appreciate falling snowflakes, or whatever the moment brings. Our students will little remember the weekly spelling or reading quizzes, but they will no doubt remember how they felt when they were in our classrooms.

Allison Riddle is the 2014 Utah Teacher of the Year and a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY). She is the Elementary Mentor Supervisor for Davis School District in Farmington, Utah.

The opinions expressed in Teacher-Leader Voices are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Recruitment & Retention Will Fired Federal Workers Consider Teaching? Some Schools May Soon Find Out
Thousands of federal employees face unemployment. Some states and districts see an opportunity to recruit skilled workers to the classroom.
6 min read
Surreal illustation of intersecting arrows and stairs.
Eoneren / E+
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says Teacher Shortages Are Improving—With Two Big Exceptions
New job posting data suggests staffing support needs to be targeted at particular areas.
4 min read
Image of innovative solutions around staffing.
Laura Baker/Education Week and Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Districts Can't Pay Teachers Promised Incentives After Trump Admin. Cuts Funding
Grants meant for teacher and school leader development in high-need schools were abruptly cut by the Trump administration. Districts are looking for other options.
8 min read
Master teachers Krysta McGrew and Justin Stewart work with their peers during a 5K cluster meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
Master teachers Krysta McGrew and Justin Stewart work with their peers at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025. The Laurens district is among those who lost federal grant funding meant to provide performance-based financial incentives to teachers.
Bryant Kirk White for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Why Teachers Choose Schools (It’s Not Just About the Paycheck)
Multiple surveys make clear that teachers care deeply about school culture when sizing up jobs. Here's what that means.
3 min read
A note written WELL DONE clip with a blue notebook, with a pencil. Concept of approval and praise on writing or professional performance
iStock/Getty