My Classroom Management » spring fever

Spring Break – Idea of the Week

jenniferw — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:07:26 +0000

This week’s idea – take a spring break

With the weather turning nicer, students are often distracted and less willing to cooperate as they would much prefer to be outside playing (as I am sure you would too!). Dealing with spring fever in the classroom is a common issue for teachers, and this week’s idea is focused on taking your students outside.

This is the time to take a lesson from the unschoolers - even a simple walk outside can be an educational experience, so taking a break from the classroom is not always a loss in educational time.

Find ways to have students incorporate their current math lessons into what they see outside; have them write short stories or poems about what they see, using the senses and focusing on descriptive phrases.

Not only will this idea allow students to get out of the classroom into the nice weather, giving them a break from the normal humdrum of the classroom, but it will give them an opportunity to experience authentic learning instead of traditional book and pencil lessons.

Did you take your students outside for a spring break learning experience? What did your students learn?

Two Musts for the End of the School Year

jenniferw — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:47:05 +0000

As the last days of school pass, there are two things that you need to do:

First, do not leave your patience at home. Both you and your students are eager for summer vacation, and while you students may have checked out, you can’t afford to. You want to leave your students on a good note, so take a deep breath, count to ten, and find creative ways to keep your students focused on learning – even if this means more games, more breaks and more recess time.

Second, evaluate your behavior plan. What worked? What didn’t work? What would you like to change for next year? What do you want to remain the same? Did you find any great tips that helped? Write them down! It is helpful to journal each part of this evaluation, writing any reflections down and it will become clear what needs to be done for a successful school year.

Don’t forget – do these now! Don’t wait!

Spring Fever in Teachers

jenniferw — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:15:27 +0000

Many teachers complain about students having spring fever, but the issue does not stop with restless children who would rather be outside playing. Part of the complicating factor in dealing with spring fever in students is the fact that teachers are suffering from spring fever as well.

Once testing is over and the weather warms up, teachers want to be out for the summer as much as students do, and this exacerbates student behavior. Teachers suffering from spring fever often notice a shorter temper. Little things are bothersome and patience is short for unruly student behavior.

Here are a few tips to help handle spring fever in teachers:

Take a deep breath and realize that children are being children. 10 year-olds will act like 10 year-olds, and remembering this can help.
Take breaks in instruction. Go outside for extra recess, have extra game times in the classroom and do brain breaks.
Implement a spring behavior plan that rewards extra good behavior.

Demand Attention Before Holiday Breaks

jenniferw — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:34:04 +0000

While many teachers demand attention from their students before a holiday break by cracking down on the rules or pleading with students to focus, one teacher came up with a much more creative method that had the students focused and having fun:

Spring Fever Strategies

jenniferw — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:04:15 +0000

As the weather warms up, students and teachers both will begin to experience spring fever. This oven results in overactive students who would rather act up than sit in class and pay attention. Finding new methods of disciplining and motivating students during this time can be helpful.

Take Advantage of Nice Weather as a Motivator

When motivating students to behave in class as the weather warms up, often the most effective strategy is to go outside. Some ideas include:

Come up with activities that can be completed outside (active games and scavenger hunts are great options).
Reward good behavior with extra recess
Offer an extra class period outside given a set of requirements met.

Focus on Beneficial Life Skills

While the mandated curriculum is important to follow, once the standardized state testing is completed, it is a good idea to shift the focus of lessons to why students need the information. Making the information geared towards life skills will help students stay motivated and will often change the tone of classroom instruction in such a way that discipline problems from spring fever can be minimized.

Remember during these final weeks of school that patience is important. Training students to become life-long learners is as important as any individual lesson so remember to take advantage of every teachable moment in the classroom.