JACKSONVILLE, Fla. For some people, the morning cant begin without coffee. For others, its a trip to the gym.
But one Florida teacher cant start the day off right without complimenting each and every one of his students, and his morning routine is gaining attention and praise from around the world.
Chris Ulmer teaches eight special education students at Mainspring Academy in Jacksonville. Hes had the same eight children in his class for the past three years, and theyve become like family, he told ABC News.
Every morning, Ulmer calls each child up individually and tells them something he loves about him or her. Ulmer recently made a video of the classs daily morning compliments and posted it to his Facebook page, Special Books by Special Kids.
Children learn to love or hate at an early age, he wrote in the caption. I think its time we actively work towards teaching love and acceptance.
The touching video has been shared nearly 30,000 times and has garnered over 1,000 comments.
Youre very funny, youre very smart, you do a great job every day and you make everyone laugh because youre so silly, Ulmer tells one student.
You are a great student, he tells another. I love having you in my class. Youre funny, youre athletic, youre a great soccer player youve been doing a great job reading.
The teacher started the page, along with a website of the same name, as a way for his students, along with other children with special needs from around the world, to have a place where they could share their thoughts. It also serves as a way to connect children and their families so they dont feel alone in their daily struggles.
Both pages contain videos created by Ulmer and his students, as well as videos sent in from kids with special needs across the globe. Its a way for them to connect, send love and offer friendship, he said.
Ulmers ultimate goal is to publish a book about the children in his class something that hasnt happened just yet.
I have 50 rejection letters on my fridge to keep me motivated, he told ABC.
The book tells each childs story in the words of the student, his or her parents and Ulmer. In a follow-up to the viral video, Ulmer explained why the book is so important.
Seven months ago I reached a boiling point, he wrote. I have students with a variety of conditions, but they all share one common element: they are pure. They represent love and everything that is right in this world. But yet, it seemed as if 99 percent of society could not see this.
Ulmer explained how one of his students parents told him they feared they would die and leave their child homeless and ignored, and Ulmer couldnt stand the idea.
I stopped putting money into my savings account. I put $600 a month into Facebook advertising. I spent from 8 to 4 each day teaching and 4 to 10 creating videos and blogging, he continued. I bet it all on this project. That video is not a flash in the pan. We have 100s of videos of the same quality. Our desire is to spread love, empathy and acceptance for individuals with special needs.
Ulmer has no plans to abandon his mission, and said hes committed to seeing it through to the end. After all, the 10 minutes a day devoted to compliments seems to be making a big difference in the lives of the children who often feel so invisible.
They all came from a segregated environment from general education students, he told ABC. Now theyre participating in school activities, dancing in front of hundreds of other kids and in the debate club.
But one Florida teacher cant start the day off right without complimenting each and every one of his students, and his morning routine is gaining attention and praise from around the world.
Chris Ulmer teaches eight special education students at Mainspring Academy in Jacksonville. Hes had the same eight children in his class for the past three years, and theyve become like family, he told ABC News.
Every morning, Ulmer calls each child up individually and tells them something he loves about him or her. Ulmer recently made a video of the classs daily morning compliments and posted it to his Facebook page, Special Books by Special Kids.
Children learn to love or hate at an early age, he wrote in the caption. I think its time we actively work towards teaching love and acceptance.
The touching video has been shared nearly 30,000 times and has garnered over 1,000 comments.
Youre very funny, youre very smart, you do a great job every day and you make everyone laugh because youre so silly, Ulmer tells one student.
You are a great student, he tells another. I love having you in my class. Youre funny, youre athletic, youre a great soccer player youve been doing a great job reading.
The teacher started the page, along with a website of the same name, as a way for his students, along with other children with special needs from around the world, to have a place where they could share their thoughts. It also serves as a way to connect children and their families so they dont feel alone in their daily struggles.
Both pages contain videos created by Ulmer and his students, as well as videos sent in from kids with special needs across the globe. Its a way for them to connect, send love and offer friendship, he said.
Ulmers ultimate goal is to publish a book about the children in his class something that hasnt happened just yet.
I have 50 rejection letters on my fridge to keep me motivated, he told ABC.
The book tells each childs story in the words of the student, his or her parents and Ulmer. In a follow-up to the viral video, Ulmer explained why the book is so important.
Seven months ago I reached a boiling point, he wrote. I have students with a variety of conditions, but they all share one common element: they are pure. They represent love and everything that is right in this world. But yet, it seemed as if 99 percent of society could not see this.
Ulmer explained how one of his students parents told him they feared they would die and leave their child homeless and ignored, and Ulmer couldnt stand the idea.
I stopped putting money into my savings account. I put $600 a month into Facebook advertising. I spent from 8 to 4 each day teaching and 4 to 10 creating videos and blogging, he continued. I bet it all on this project. That video is not a flash in the pan. We have 100s of videos of the same quality. Our desire is to spread love, empathy and acceptance for individuals with special needs.
Ulmer has no plans to abandon his mission, and said hes committed to seeing it through to the end. After all, the 10 minutes a day devoted to compliments seems to be making a big difference in the lives of the children who often feel so invisible.
They all came from a segregated environment from general education students, he told ABC. Now theyre participating in school activities, dancing in front of hundreds of other kids and in the debate club.
