Body Gestures Can Really Rock.

(Wave) ...since this blog is about body gestures.

Well 2 days ago at school one of my favorites co-workers wasn't happy about having to teach her particular students later that day. There's really only so much someone can say. So you know what I did to make her feel better? Well we were standing there at the counter in the copier room and she was telling me about her class. I said some sort of encouraging comment and then, because sometimes all else fails, I backed up and when I knew she was looking at me...did a toe touch. And by toe touch I don't mean I bent down to touch my toes. No. This was an all-out, make-sure-no-one-is-walking-by-me-because-that-would-be-messy, toe touch. I kicked my foot out with no avail and reached my toes with my arm. And with a smile on my face yelled (but not too loud because there's something about being "professional" when you're a teacher..ugh) "TOE TOUCH!"

And this, if even for a second, made her day. Or maybe, made her second.

A couple more times when I passed her I would touch my toes. And the thing about toe-touching is once you've made the full-out effort to do it once, so that it really looks like a toe-touch, you can do it again and again without actually touching your toes, and the intent is still there. Now I say this with a disclaimer. I would only do this toe-touch-without-touching-your-toes in an environment where there were professional people around. Well, in particular, professional people who have a say on the destination of my paycheck as well as the control of my job. I think that otherwise, the toe touch would no longer encourage, but discourage. The toe touchee would think, "Wow, why isn't she doing the full-out toe touch? Am I not worth it? Did she decide that I in fact no longer deserve a toe touch?" And, there it is, your toe touch has made the opposite effect you were going for. So in conclusion to this lazy toe touch, DO NOT DO IT unless your environment disables you from doing the full, 100%, you're -worth-it toe touch. Rather, go for the gold. Go big or go home. Just do it. The full toe touch.

So this same co-worker. She walked into the classroom we share and before I left, and before the kids came in (see the comment about being professional), I decided to take the toe touch another step. I began a cheer for her. And by that I mean, I opened my eyes really wide (you know, when your eyebrows arch really high because of all the strain you're putting into your really big eyes), clasped my hands together, and said, "READY! OK!" while clapping my hands and nodding my head up and down like I Dream of Jeannie did sometimes. And because I played basketball and didn't have any desire to know anything about cheerleading except to make fun of it (I'm sorry if you're one. No offense to you. It just comes with the basketball-player-territory.), I ended that very very very short (but awesome) cheer with, you guessed it, a toe touch.

Because you know what? That's just funny! And she laughed, and probably, no definitely, felt ready to face her class. If I can be a part of that, then SIGN ME UP.

So this made me think, "wow, body gestures are so cool." And this is why I would like to take this early morning (sleeping in is a foreign idea to me....5:30am is my yoozh wake-up time, with or without Mr. Alarm) moment to share some other gestures that can go a long way for the tininess of the gesture.

1. The Sky High-five. I'd like to say that before Jim and Pam from the Office (I can't get too mad at them, though, because...it's Jim and Pam from the Office) did the sky high-five, I was doing the sky high-five. When something deserves a high five, and you are too far away from the awesome person to whom you desire to give a high five to, no sweat! With an over-exaggerated arm motion, reach out your hand and at the same time tilt your head down so you're looking at the floor. Hopefully, the high fiveee will read what gloriousness is about to happen and will do the same. If not, the thought has already been communicated and it's still awesome and funny.

2. Make a really happy face, sort of like you're a clown but not so scary. Make your eyes big so your eye brows go up high. Smile but open your mouth wide too, so that if you were to cock your head up, so you were looking up, you'd look like you were trying to catch a cheese ball that was thrown up into the air. But lets not get off topic. You're not catching a cheese ball. That's for those Friday nights with your friends. So you're eyes are wide, brows are high, mouth is open wide and smiley. Your face is set. Next, and this is what separates the happy face from the happy face with an awesome body gesture, put your hands up on either side of your happy clown face, and shake them from side to side. Now, you're not actually moving your arms, but you're moving your hands from your wrists. When you do it (which I 100% expect you to be doing it this second), you should be reminded of broadway. So in conclusion, this is the Happy-Clown-But-Not-Scary-Broadway Gesture.

3. This is the I-Heart-You. This is a great one because you can communicate some sort of appreciation with love, without it being awkward with certain people. You know those people who you're friends with, or you work with, and secretly love in a non-committal way but it would be awkward, or maybe kind of sketchy, or unprofessional, to say "I love you" to? Okay I'll give you an example. And DO NOT read into this. My department head. I think he's great and I appreciate how he has made my job as a math teacher easier. Because you would think that being told you were teaching "lower-level math" would mean 2+2, right? WRONG. I have had to learn fractions all over again. Geez. Well anyway, I love him. But I don't LOVE him. Also he's old, so gross. But anyway, to show him that you appreciate his work to help me understand his way of math, instead of being like, "I love you", because that would be SO weird and then it could be taken the wrong way, and I would never teach math again, all because I was trying to say thanks.... Give him the I-Heart-You. This involves making a heart-shape with your hands. You will touch your thumbs together, as well as your fingers together. Your hands are cupped, and manipulate your fingers and thumbs in such a way that you have created the shape of a heart. Now this next step is up to you. Maybe it depends on the level of appreciation and thanks... you can hold it up to the left side of your chest, where your heart resides, or you can just hold it out. In both cases, you are communicating, in a safe, I-don't-actually-LOVE-LOVE-you way, that you love them.

That's all for now. I want to read my book. And I have grad class today. Can I get an "UGH."...?

Whoever executes a Sky High-Five, a Happy-Clown-But-Not-Scary-Broadway gesture, and an I-Heart-You gesture in APPROPRIATE situations, and reports that to me with a full explanation of the situations, will get a toe touch. A FULL OUT toe touch. Go get 'em and good luck.