My first year of teaching I was a trainwreck. I taught 6th-grade science and social studies at a school with nearly 90% of students qualifying as “economically disadvantaged”. I think that first semester I yelled more than I instructed. I was so focused on kids listening quietly that I think I forgot that they were kids. If someone spoke while I spoke I instantly became frustrated or would call the office for support. There were days that I did not want to work and nights I would lay awake with anxiety.

I knew there was more to school than this. I started this profession to change the world and I didn’t feel like I was changing anything. Quitting was never an option but I knew if I wanted to do this for 30 more years I had to change something. I started talking to more experienced educators to see what they did. Most of them complained and did not offer much support. Some thought I needed to be more strict, but I had already tried that method and it was driving myself and the kids crazy. I finally got the advice I needed (although I may have taken it to the extreme).

I went to one of my professors and voiced my concerns with education. I explained how I had been frustrated and before I could finish my rant he said, “Why are you mad at them? They are kids, they are going to act like kids.” This made sense but I still didn’t know how to use this to my advantage. Then he said, “Match their crazy, embrace the chaos.” 

I recognized that my frustrations typically came from me losing control of the class so that night I promised myself 2 things:

1. My class would become a place where kids wanted to be and no kid would want to be sent out.
2. I would no longer raise my voice at kids

The next day when the students came in I had music blaring and I was already dancing(this became a daily morning activity). They looked at me like I was crazy but the harder I danced the more the kids started dancing along. By the end of morning arrival, I had sweated through my shirt. I was giving high fives and welcoming kids telling them how happy I was they were there. I started the day with a good attitude and so did the kids. 

Now was the hard part, not raising my voice. No matter how frustrating the situation, I refused to respond with anger. I learned that if I did not freak out, neither would the kids. I honestly couldn’t believe how easy it was to completely change the dynamic and the culture of the classroom just by having fun and refusing to engage in arguments or yelling at kids. If kids were talking during instruction, typically my lesson wasn’t engaging enough. I would give them “talk breaks” to have a 2-minute discussion before getting back on task. I would walk across the top of the desks during lectures. I would stand on my hands and teach. Whatever I could do to keep the kids guessing what was coming next, I would do it.

“Match their crazy, embrace the chaos.”

I know it is likely that people are reading this and thinking, “This would never work.”. And maybe they are right, but it worked for me! The first step to becoming an effective educator for me was to get out of my own way and accept that at times, it is ok to relinquish control. If you asked a kid or if you would have asked yourself as a kid what your classroom would be like one day, you would not have explained how all the kids would sit and listen. You would likely explain how you would be different and how kids would love school. It is not too late to make your classroom the way you wish yours was as a kid!

Don’t be confused about the story above and my classroom. There were still problems at times and my colleagues would likely tell you that the room was too chaotic for their liking. But for me, it made me love my job, it made the classroom a place where students could learn to love school, and it opened my eyes to the idea that to be effective in this profession, I had to do things a bit differently than others. At a time when my confidence was low, I had to remind myself that I AM GOOD AT THIS!

Challenge

1. Tomorrow, make a promise to yourself that no matter how frustrated you get at a situation, you will not raise your voice. It is amazing how much better you will feel at the end of the day.
2. Set up a reward for your students to earn a 2-minute dance party. Once the kids earn it by meeting whichever reachable goal you decide on, blast the music and show them your moves. You will see huge smiles and kids will likely work hard to meet their next goal for another short party. It is free, easy, and fun!

Please use the comment box to ask questions and share your own success stories. I would love to share them in my next post!

#YouAreGoodAtThis!