it happens

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Home : 2004 : September : 24

it happens
By Lisa

don't feel too bad about it, as was said above, we all lose it from time to time and it can get frustrating, especially when your patience is already down from being ill. I have had a similar problem with my 5th graders-
they are great kids, can be super quiet, but when it comes to a transition or even a moment of free time, its chaos. I feel like a broken record saying that its not a talking time and asking what is unclear about SILENT reading time. I have found the same, that the read aloud, when they're interested, gets them to immediately stop. Finding the right book might be a challenge, but I got

lucky and the kids LOVE Running Out of Time by Haddix. All I have to do is pick up the book from my desk and hold it, 'waiting' to read, and as students notice, they spread the word and talking magically stops within a minute. The opportunity to do things on their own, play a game, or go outdoors does inevitably lead to at least 10 minutes of calming down. As mine come back from gym or recess, they can be crazy, gasping dramatically for drinks. You have to draw the line somewhere for them and what you did may have an effect if you follow through in the future. The above poster is right, the choice is theirs- if they want to talk during a working time, then they lose their free time. I always tell mine that THIS is their Friday fun time whenever they are talking and that since we're having it now during math, we're not going to need to go outside this afternoon to have it.