We just finished the fourth week of school and wow, I finally did it.
I think most teachers would agree that we have really good days and so-so days on a regular basis. In my case, the days seemed to alternate. Monday would be an excellent day, Tuesday would be a so-so day, Wednesday an excellent day etc. Usually, teachers, or least I did, can tell early in the morning what kind of day it will be. This pattern pretty much ruled my life for the first three weeks.
Every week, I would think to myself that there has to be a way to have a good day everyday. I know, my goal seems a little ambitious. However, I have always believed that I can have my cake and eat it too. Therefore, every few days, I would try something new.
For a couple of days, I spoke in a really low voice for my students. This way, they would have to be quiet to be able to hear me. It was calming for myself and them. It worked, but since I'm a natural loud mouth I got tired of speaking so softly. Then I tried my regular loud voice during the beginning of the class and got softer has time progressed. This was an ok strategy, except all my kids thought that they had made me sad because I started class with so much energy and significantly decreased it by the end. Then I tried giving all of my classes the silly side of me which I usually only give to my first and third period. Since I see them for a longer period of time, they're more in tune with my moods and understand that there is a time and a place for all behaviors. Apparently, my other classes are no where near first and third hour in terms of perception. They took my more non-chalant and fun side and ran with it. I couldn't get them to stop laughing. They made me believe that there was a little invisible man hanging from my ear lobe telling jokes, except I couldn't hear him. Then I tried upfront, mildly loud, in your face instruction. This undoubtedly proved to be the most effective kind of instruction in most regards. The kids were tuned in, excited, and learning was up! It was such a positive for the students, so I kept doing it, BUT it was sooooooooo exhausting. I'm up, running from kid to kid, being fairly loud, keeping up my energy, applauding students every time they catch on...it was very draining. It was at this moment that I realized what the one characteristic was that I didn't have that would enable me to have a good day everyday.
Living In the Moment. That's the key to it all. This last week, September 10th through the 14th, I lived in the moment. How is this different from what I've been doing? It has less to do with my physical behavior and more to do with my immediate perception and emotional investment in the situtaion. That is, my reaction to events is not always physically different, but emotionally it feels different and much more pleasant. For instance, a student named Jeff is speaking aloud in a quiet environment. My ears open. I turn to look at Jeff with my teacher's eye like I normally would. My physical behavior is the same. I always turn and look at students with my teacher's eye when they are mildy disruptive. However, I have perceived the situation differently. Normally, I would think to myself as I was staring, "Why are you talking? We are quiet every single day during the warm-up? Why don't you get it?" When I'm living in the moment, I think to myself while I'm staring, "Jeff obviously needs my attention. He is sooo silly. Nothing is wrong with him, he just loves to talk, just like me!" You see, when I'm living in the moment, I notice that there is an issue, I react appropriately by giving the student minimal attention, and I note the humanity in the situation, recalling the moments that I am Jeff.
Living In the Moment allows me to enjoy my life, my job, and my kids simultaneously. It decreases melancholy and increases authentic happiness which allows me to approach each day, each student with a brand new sincerity. Living In the Moment allowed me to have my cake and eat it too! It made a everyday an excellent day which makes both myself and my kids more successful!
YoU gOtTa LoVe It
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Ashley, honey, I don't know how you do it. I'm proud of you though; I know that you're making a very positive impact on these students.
Ibro was counting out syllables by clapping today, and I didn't know it until after I said, "Ibro, is that really necessary?" It was driving me crazy because it just seemed like he was clapping as loud as he possibly could for NO REASON whatsoever! Then he turns to me, frowns, and says, "But, Ms. Crawford told us to count out syllables by clapping. See?" And this LOUD clapping, along with his chanting, erupts from this tiny body. I was annoyed, but impressed that you had them so engaged that they had remembered something such as this. I remember doing it by putting my hand on my chin and feeling when my jaw dropped, and counting that as a syllable.
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