My high school drama teacher would tell us that if we looked like we were having fun on stage, the people in the audience would have fun too. The same goes with teaching. I have, unfortunately, seen teachers that never broke a smile while they were teaching. Unfortunate for the children.A smile tells the children that you enjoy teaching. If you are happy about what you are teaching, the children will pay closer attention to what it is that’s making you feel that way. And the feeling will rub off.
A smile also tells the children that you are happy to be there – with them! This will also do wonders for attention and attendance.
Smiling will also tend to make your teaching more animated.
Certainly there will be times during your teaching that you will want to have a serious expression or dramatically act out anger, sadness, or some other feeling. But generally, while you teach, you can’t lose with a smile. To put it simply as Nehemiah did, “The joy of the Lord will be your strength.”
Have fun and smile!