Welcome to Kansas if you don’t like the weather wait 5
minutes; it will change. That was the truth this week. We go from a nice
weekend to freezing cold, rain, snow and ice. I think most people will agree
with me; I am done with this weather. Not only is it hard to know what to wear
but these fronts then set the students off. I don’t think there was one teacher
in the building who I did not hear ask another teacher if their students were a
bit bonkers this week.
Growing up in a family of teachers, this is one thing I
heard about often; Weather Changes and the effects it has on students. My
father who worked in Special Ed. Even said you could sometimes see the system
as it passed through the area and room. When I was a para I got a first-hand look at
what my parents had been talking about. The students were out of sorts, they
were not themselves and they couldn’t help it.
To some it may sound like crazy talk, but all I have to say
to them is; come work in a school and you will soon learn what I mean.
It is at these times I know I must be patient with my
students. There are days when this can be a challenge and spend my day making
sure everyone is alright. At one point I had two different students in tears
and had to be the comforting person and let them talk it out. Luckily they were
not major issues, just students having a bad day.
Those days can wear me out, but it’s that good tired the
tired that I know has made a difference for the day. I was the listener when
they student just needed someone to listen to them and allow them to vent.
Pressure changes also mean, I need to be wise and pick my
battles, because sometimes the fight is not worth fighting. Working as a
Special Ed. Para, that is one thing I learned very quickly. Sometimes those
little things like a tapping pencil or the not staying on task, it may not be
worth the headache and you can always try again during your next class period.
One thing my father taught me is sometimes you may get 5 minutes of work out of
student and that’s OK. Because tomorrow is a new day!
Hope everyone has a wonderful week this week!!! and I hope
all your students are Good Workers or at least attempt to be!
I think these things are great ways to practice rolling with the punches. As teachers, we have to make a thousand tiny and not-so-tiny decisions every day. Dealing with the hive mood forces us to evaluate quickly what's important and what we can let go. We won't be perfect, but we're refining the process all the time.
ReplyDeleteOh, Kansas weather. You've got to love it. At least it keeps things interesting, because you never know what you'll get when you walk outside! Unfortunately, the weather definitely affects students' attitude and behavior in class, and weather like this always seems to make them a little squirrely. I have been spending a lot more time trying to get students to focus and participate during class, and it can be frustrating at times. However, I've found that implementing more hands on activities works wonders for weird weather days. Allowing the students to talk and move around in a productive way has made it possible for us to cover the material without wasting a ton of time begging students to focus and stay on task.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're staying postive, and that you can appreciate the fact that students aren't acting this way on purpose. Your positive attitude helps them more than you know!
Ms. Skidmore
I definitely can see the weather changes in the classroom as well. I think sometimes this is best countered by bringing out some of the more active, cooperative type projects that let students talk to one another and try to work together. I think they more they talk to each other, the easier it can be on us. I also think my mood is being affected as well. The days seem to be getting longer instead of shorter. Brain breaks are definitely on my list of activities this week as we settle into another week of roller coaster weather and attitudes.
ReplyDeleteThe weather can have a profound effect on students; to this, I have no doubt! I agree with Jeana that it is during these wonky changes (and short weeks don't help the out of ordinary behavior either) that the more kinesthetic projects and activities can be helpful. One strategy that I found really helped for those who just had the off task urge to talk is to take normal classroom discussion or worksheet questions and display them one at a time as match-pair-share questions. So students have a chance to stand up and move around and get their social needs met while still staying on task, and leaving my own mood and emotions in tact while doing so!
ReplyDelete