Teacher's 10-Minute Daily Ritual With Students is Awesome

One teacher is doing the most remarkable (and remarkably simple) thing. He starts the day by paying each of his students a compliment.

Is that it? Yes, a compliment, that's all. 

But for the children in Chris Ulmer's class, hearing something positive about themselves is not the norm. These kids all have varying special needs - from brain trauma to autism - and are used to hearing society's message that they aren't worthy or acceptable as they are.

So the Florida teacher set out to challenge and confound society, one compliment at a time. For the first 10 minutes of every day, he singles out each child and delivers personal compliments. 

Like I recently learned, a little praise can go a long way for kids accustomed to hearing a litany of things they are doing 'wrong' (read: differently).  

Not surprisingly, the students are reaping the rewards of such positivity. Not only has the daily ritual boosted self-esteem, the kids are now paying spontaneous compliments to each other. 

Ulmer, or Mr Chris as he's known, has also worked tirelessly to create a website that showcases the many gifts of his 'special' students while highlighting the realities of their respective conditions. 

In Special Books by Special Kids, the students - who have been working with Mr Chris for the past three years - became the authors of their own stories in a book that is currently being finalized by Ulmer. 

Ulmer's approach to education is as impressive as his ambition to deliver a loving message about kids who don't fit into a perfect category is humbling.

Check out some of the amazing videos and stories on Special Books.