I am not having a good day. I worked hard to prepare a "really fun lesson" that I was sure the kids would enjoy.
"OK boys and girls," I say. "Here's what we are going to do. We will make two teams..." Two girls begin giggling together.
"Pay attention now," I say. Three boys begin tossing an eraser at each other.
I am exasperated. "I want you to line up here NOW!" Ungrateful little wretches! I think to myself. When I was in school, I would have been thrilled to do this!
A boy who is rocking back in his chair manages to fall over backwards. The class laughs uproariously.
"That is IT!" I announce, "If you can't behave yourselves you can work quietly at your desks. Everyone take your seats and you can do these worksheets." I go to my stash of quiet time worksheets and pick two of the sheets that look as if they could keep them writing for quite a while.
I was amazed to see the children go quietly to their seats and happily begin work on the worksheets. "I don't get it," I think to myself. "I gave them those sheets as a punishment, but they seem happy to do them."
Of course! I realize what has just happened. The children were telling me in the only vocabulary that they knew that they had had enough of the "fun stuff." They were feeling over-stimulated and they were ready for some quiet time.
There is so much talk about making school "fun" nowadays. I have heard children praise a teacher because "He makes school fun." Actually, what they really mean is that that teacher gets them involved in what they are learning. Getting the children involved in their learning is important and often times they will enjoy it, but the thrust has to be on the learning not on the fun.
Are you studying map reading? Have the children design their own countries. Have them actually draw the map of the country including lakes, rivers, mountains, cities etc. You will know whether or not they understand map features and they will have "fun". Is persuasive writing a part of your curriculum? Let them make brochures to persuade people to come to visit their new countries. What "fun!"
Maybe you are studying colonial America. Let each child research and choose an occupation that someone might have had during that time. Have them "become" that character and write in their journals as the person. When you read about a battle or other significant event, let them react to it as if they were living there at the time. They can imagine that they or a family member is involved in the battle. Will they choose to be a Patriot or a Tory? They will have "fun" all the while the focus is on learning.
Let's face it, we can't be Sesame Street or MTV. We were not hired as entertainment directors. Children don't need more entertainment. They have more of that than they can handle as it is. We are hired to teach the children skills that they will need when they go out in the world. Let's not forget our mission. We are there to teach, not to entertain. If we don't fulfill that mission it is the children who will be the losers.
Hannah Means has taught grades 2 through 6 in Connecticut for the past 25 years and loved every minute of it! She is now retired and enjoys volunteering in the local elementary school. She performs a specialty puppet show entitled CUDDLES. She especially enjoys working with new teachers and sharing ideas with them as well!
Visit Hannah's website for new teachers at http://hannahmeans.bizland.com
