Last Friday was a 'mare of a day. For some reason, even the best of classes were
hyperactive and fussy. And my last lesson, a middling group, was the kind of fuss-fest
that made me think where did it all go wrong. I was still thinking of it today. Why was
it so awful? Kids were turning up late, and they all seemed to be either in a strop or
feeling too ill / hot / cold to do any thinking. The lesson suffered several interruptions
from messengers who, now I think about it, were probably just sent on trivial errands by
teachers desperate to be rid of them from their own lessons.
By the time the last class barged out of the door I was ready to drop to my knees whilst tearing out my hair, but as it was Friday I found the energy to dash to my car as soon as I could. It was only later, when I was staggering to the nearest pub, that I saw the huge orange full moon and realised why madness had reigned at my school all day. I'd found my reason and didn't need to mull over deficiencies in my planning any more. Well, not much anyway.
Schools do seem to be affected by the weather, as well as the lunar cycle. That's not just
some new age excuse, or mediaeval reasoning from the days when lunacy was blamed on the moon.
Every teacher has experienced the tension that a rainy day brings, and it's not just down
to the kids being cooped up at breaktimes.
Younger kids go mad in the playground when it's windy, charging around in circles like
the autumn leaves. On a sunny summer's day the school is half empty, with an amazing bug
sweeping the kids most desperate for a tan. Some teachers even break the rules and
take their classes outside to sit under a shady tree, without completing the necessary
risk assessment paperwork first. They instead weigh up the risks of a leaf falling on a child's
head against the number of migraines brought on by the sun beating through the classroom
window.
Right now, I'm just looking forward to the opposite scenario: being snowed in when there's a cosy Christmas film on the telly and online shopping to be done. Every season has its advantages, after all.
added 14/10/03
© Copyright laws apply to the contents of this website. 2003