Yesterday was a crazy day.
So crazy, in fact, that I wanted at least 12 hours to collect my thoughts before posting them for the blogosphere to see.
I'm not talking unexpected schedule changes or emergency visits to the nurse- I'm talking a serious behavioral backslide from my students. I had to remind them of expectations more times yesterday than in the last two weeks combined. Do we lay with our body flat on the floor and our eyes out the window while the teacher is leading morning meeting? Nope. Do we shout across the room to teachers or fellow students during reading to ask what we are supposed to be doing? Don't think so. Do we push a kid because he turned off the lights and we wanted to be the one to turn off the lights? Negative. Do we have a conversation with our neighbor about Ninjago while the teacher is beginning to give directions? Probably not. Do we ask to use the restroom right when we get inside from lunch and recess? No. Do we argue with another student for a full 30 seconds during a fire drill because we want to be the last one in line to shut the door? Definitely not. Do we get up out of our chair to yell in the face of a partner during a math game because she called us out for lying about what number we rolled? No.
My Friday was an entire day of telling kids what they should NOT be doing. That is exactly the opposite of the kind of teacher I want to be. I want to be able to say yes when a student asks me to do something and give them opportunities to decide what their school day looks like. I don't want to spend most of my time rehearsing with students the ways that we should behave around other human beings. I used to think that my ability to see multiple perspectives and be rational about how others might be thinking in any given situation was a common trait. What I've learned in my adulthood, however, is that there are a lot, I mean A LOT of people (all the way from my two year olds at the daycare to grown adults) who don't have this skill. Having knowledge of human development and the egocentric stages that all kids go through usually allows me to take a deep breath and teach the right behavior instead of getting angry about the behavior that is displayed. On days like today, though, the calm teacher inside of me was nowhere to be found.
I have heard a few times this year that teachers need to "Assume nothing, teach everything." This is a great rule of thumb, particularly for teachers who hold high expectations for their students. There is nothing wrong with expecting the best from your students as long as you teach them how to get there. The thing is, though, that we've taught these skills. We will continue to teach these skills. But when you've asked me every day for the last ten if you can go to the bathroom right when I begin to give directions, do you think my answer will change? Each time I have explained that work time or free time is the best time to use the bathroom. Is this work time or free time? Nope. If you leave now, will you be able to hear the directions? Negative. Will you know what to do when you come back from using the bathroom? No. This is the kind of thing that I am talking about and the kind of thing that drives me crazy. I don't know how to get through to my kids when it comes to things like this.
Monday is a new day. Monday is the beginning of a new week. Monday will be better.
-Ms. T
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