Students: Check the emotional baggage at the door!

It’s the second hour in Mr. K’s class, and the bell has just rung. Mr. K is ready to begin his lesson, but this is what he doesn’t know is hiding beneath the surface:

-Susie just got dumped by her boyfriend due to a fake rumor posted on Facebook last night.

-Jimmy was stopped by his coach in the hallway and reminded that coach really needs Jimmy’s best performance in tonight’s big game.

-Sarah has butterflies in her stomach because she hopes that today is the day that Jimmy invites her to the homecoming dance.

-Eric thinks he failed the history test today despite everything he studied last night.

“So who’s ready to learn about compound interest continually, today? What does it mean if interest is continually piling up? Susie? Jimmy? … Anyone?” Mr. K wonders why so much of his class seems to be on a different planet.

How can students put aside their personal problems (which to them seem like world-ending situations) and focus on “continually increasing interest” at the flick of a switch? The answer is that they cannot.

GET TO THE GREEN ZONE

This is how I fight the problem. (You won’t find this in any teacher’s textbook.) Instead of starting class with some kind of curriculum, I start on neutral ground. I start each day with a teacher-led activity that takes 2-5 class minutes. The activity is of great interest, it is not related to the curriculum, but it is also predictable. Here is my weekly schedule:

-Monday: My crazy weekend. I share a fun but personal story from my weekend … students love hearing about “real life” from their teacher!

-Tuesday: Two-minute mysteries on Tuesday. I read a mystery from Donald J. Sobol’s book, Two Minute Mysteries … students love to play “detective” and try to solve the mystery before I reveal the answer.

-Wednesday: ‘Do you prefer Wednesday?’ I read scenarios on a card from the old board game, would you rather …? For example, you could ask the class, “Would you rather have five bottles stuck to the fingers of one hand for a year or have a bucket on the foot for a year?” This always makes for a fun discussion.

-Thursday: Puzzle Thursday. I read a puzzle or show a visual puzzle for the class to solve; this is challenging, but engaging.

-Friday: Bad joke Friday. I share a really bad joke like:

Q: When is it a door, not a door?

A: When it is a jar!

Students often roll their eyes and grunt, but at the end of the semester, I often hear that this was the student’s favorite activity.

So what have I achieved in the end? Some would say that I have wasted valuable class time in an environment where every minute counts. I would not agree. In those 2-5 minutes, I eliminated the “inner head junk” of 34 teenagers. I have helped reset their brains to a neutral state that is better equipped to learn about “continually compound interest.”

Susie smiles and shakes her head at my tacky joke. Jimmy is imagining what it would be like to have five bottles on his fingers rather than whether or not he will make the winning move. Sarah solved the two-minute mystery and trusts Jimmy was impressed. Eric answered a very challenging riddle correctly and feels a little smarter.

I am not suggesting that these activities will create world peace, but they do:

-Capture the attention of the whole class,

-Put a smile on everyone’s face,

-Create a link between the teacher and the student, and

-Make a smoother transition to the “real” curriculum in question.

Now when I ask the question, “What does it mean if the interest is continually compounded?” You might get a response like, “compounding won’t stop?” This may be the correct answer or it may be the wrong answer, but at least it is an answer. So it gives me a starting point to engage with the students about the curriculum.

But wait! There is more …

It wasn’t until I had been using this strategy for several years that I discovered some unwanted benefits. Over the years, I have kept in touch with many graduates. They often tell me what those 2-5 minutes meant to them. My students shared the following:

-They thought I was doing it for the sole purpose of entertaining me. They thought it was cool that I cared about them to do something to brighten the mood of the class.

-They liked having something to look forward to at the beginning of each class.

-A student said, “As I walked into class, I found myself thinking … I wonder what kind of ridiculous joke he has today.” In this case, I was thrilled to hear that their attention was already focused on anticipating my actions before they walked through my door.

-They were disappointed if I had a substitute teacher!

-Students perceived that I “cared” for them more than other teachers because of the “connection” that was made through mutual laughter and discussion.

Starting

It is easy to get started with this simple but very effective strategy; There is so much material available! However, I have listed a few links below to help you get started. Choose things that attract you, because your delivery will be much more natural.

Good luck and most of all … have fun!