Week 14 Bode

          This week (the week after Thanksgiving) was a bit rough for not only the teachers but also the students to get back into the swing of things. As teachers I think we assume the students are fine and they can just jump right back into school since they don't do the work that the teachers do. But I think we're wrong as teachers to think like that. I know that for me it's difficult going from sleeping in, not doing any work, and relaxing to wake up early, work all day, and come home to doing more homework. All during this week I had several incidences of students acting out way more than they usually would. This one boy told me how he didn't get enough sleep and he was up until 10 at his dads house. He was passed out on the rug just sleeping even shaking him to wake up wasn't getting him awake enough. I mentioned in my previous blog that I had him run the track to wake up and I used stickers to motivate him. This has never happened before in the many months we've been at school where he has actually been that difficult to wake up during a lesson or even fall asleep for that matter. Other students have been acting up as well. The students who I always have to give numerous checks to (misbehavior checks) had gotten even more this week for talking out of turn even more than usual and continuing to constantly talk in the hallways. We even had a problem this week with kids play fighting and hitting each other which has never happened. Some of the students who don't get along well most of the time were getting into bickering fights and whining more about it. I don't think that the problem is kids do not remember the behavior system and forgot that checks are minutes off there choice time; I just think they have to adjust to being at home and hanging around to being back at school where there are rules in place.
          What I'm noticing is that students aren't all going crazy and misbehaving, it's mainly the ones who have been misbehaving all year and it was heightened a bit this week. What I noticed happening to me is that I was getting more grumpy and shot tempered when I had to deal with these children because I, too, was trying to get used to the school week as well. I think what is important here is that we have to remember to take a step back and realize that our students probably feel the same way we do and that they are tired too and still trying to get used to being back in school. So how do we approach a week like this where we have just had a break? What will happen after Winter Break? I think it would be important and maybe helpful to have a talk with the students about how we are coming back from winter break and everyone is feeling a bit tired and slow on those first few days. Giving warnings instead of checks may be fair to do so kids get used to it again. A way to maybe help students is by talking to the parents of those who were misbehaving and checking in with them and asking if they are getting enough sleep or feeling alright after school since we know we're coming off of a break. This will help you as a teacher understand where your student is coming from but also maybe get an improved behavior from them so that you can handle the situations more calmly as well.