Forgiveness in the classroom--is it necessary?

Slice of Life
http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com

My classroom policy has always been that every morning starts fresh--no matter what happened the day before. But I had not really thought about forgiveness as a tool for classroom management; not until I read an article by Michael Linsin published by the Smart Classroom Management. (Why Forgiveness Is a Powerful Classroom Management Strategy)
I started thinking; where do I usually hear about forgiveness? Church, among friends and family, maybe even among colleagues; but with my students? Well, I have apologized when I did not get the papers graded fast enough or when I had misplaced a student's paper. But using forgiveness to manage my classroom??? I would have to think deeper:

I started thinking about the student or students whose daily plan seems to be to disrupt the classroom. Not really by being mean, but by constantly finding reasons to get up, make a comment, blow a nose (just to make a sound), poke the person next to him/her, or just move the chair enough to make everyone lose their concentration. How do I respond? What tone do I use? Does my response encourage and propel further disruptions? Am I feeding the students' need to misbehave?And then, what do I need to change if I want to practice forgiveness in my classroom?

According to Michael Linsin,

• Although forgiveness is a remarkable de-stressor, it isn’t simply an internal, personal decision you make and keep to yourself. No, you must share it with your students.
• You must show them through your quick smile and open, welcoming body language that every day is a new day and that the mistakes of the past are truly forgotten and gone forever.
• Greeting your most challenging students with a kind word, being in their company with no strings attached, sharing a story with the one who spent the previous afternoon in time-out . . . these simple actions have power.
• Radical forgiveness—that which is given fully and freely with no expectation of anything in return—can be a remarkable tonic for your classroom.

So, what shall I do tomorrow in my classroom?

• I will continue to enforce our classroom rules and policies
• I will smile more 
• I will show with my words and my behavior that past mistakes are truly forgotten and forgiven (just remember: this is new and I am in training)
• I will make a conscious effort to greet my most challenging students  with kind words, and making myself available to these students (even when I don't have to)
• I will practice radical forgiveness in my classroom
• I will pique my students' interest by designing a sign: Radical forgiveness happens here (picture to come in a future post). It just might start an interesting conversation  in my class.  

Will I be perfect tomorrow and this week? Absolutely not! But, I have started something that can sow seeds for years to come. I am sure I will still get frustrated and make sarcastic comments, nevertheless, I have started my journey to irrigate my classroom with forgiveness and kindness Perhaps, I will need a bracelet that I can snap to remind me of the power of my words--both positive and negative.