Putting the "J" in "J-Factor"

I smile at school.  It’s what I do.  I tease, I banter, I greet everyone by name (loudly, and in a highly witty manner I swear), I laugh, I hold mini impromptu dance parties at my tutorial bench.  Every fist-pump from an excited student, every wacky moment, every small (and large) achievement puts a giant toothy grin on my face (someday, I will pay a fortune for teeth-whitening).  I try to pass these grins on throughout my day.  I try to put the J in J-Factor.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the concept of ‘J-Factor,’ I refer to Doug Lemov’s Teach Like A Champion technique: make learning joyful!  Include some ‘joy-factor’ in each of your lessons.  This could be a game or competition or awesome activity in the classroom, or it could simply be an attitude, brought to every single minute moment of learning.  This is the attitude that I strive to have at school, and I have found almost without fail that smiling really does transcend some sort of universal language.  Smile at a student, greet him or her by name, show them you’re excited to see them, and they will be excited to see you, maybe even excited to learn.

Last year, I worked primarily with sixth graders at another Boston charter school, and I worried that this year, in making the transition to high school, my particular brand of cheesy grins would not be so appreciated.  As it turns out, it’s not just me and the middle-schoolers who crave smiles.  After just over a year and a half in the public school system, I have come to truly believe that the smile is one of my most important educational tools.  Of course, like any tool, it is not appropriate at all moments – some times call for seriousness in a variety of guises, but it is nevertheless enormously useful to me.  Having a smiling attitude as a natural state of being helps me as a teacher to always be patient, and avoid becoming frustrated.  It’s nearly impossible to shake my happy (as my grumpy sleepy first period class has learned).   A smile can convey many messages to students: great job!, cheer up!, this-is-my-slanted-eyebrow-look-get-your-book-out-and-start-reading-oh-just-became-a-smile-thanks!  And so much more.  Like I said, a universal language, for middle school students, for high school students, for cheering yourself on.

As I walk through the parking lot in the afternoon to get my clothes for cross-country practice from my car, I almost always run into two smiley senior girls waiting at the gate (I’m not sure for what … I’m fairly certain it’s not me).  Every time our paths cross we grin at each other, and usually I crack some corny joke, and they laugh, hopefully genuinely.  I realized the other day that I am always capable of smiling at these two girls - whether I have had a fantastic day or not.  Smiling throughout the day has helped me to retain happy spirits; knowing these two girls will smile back at me and are happy to see me brightens my afternoon.  Mutual joy.  It’s what I love best about spending my days with high school students.


Julia Woodward is a Lead Tutor with the CoaHCORPS Tutorial Program, in her 1st year at City on a Hill. She earned her Bachelor's degree from Cornell University, where she studied Development Sociology and Education.