Kids?

Every teacher has them—the students who just will not sit down or still, no matter how nicely or frequently you ask. They want to move around, they want to wiggle, they want to talk, they want to be loud. There’s also the group of students who just want to talk, and talk…and talk. About 60 minutes into the 80 minute period, they’re at their limit, and so is the teacher. It is about that time that I have to take deep breath and remind myself: THEY’RE KIDS!

They’re kids and, 9 out of 10 times, they’ve had no chance to move or talk all day. They come into school where they’re rushed into the cafeteria. Then, they sit through 3 back-to-back 90 minute classes, in which they are preparing for high-stakes exams, which they need to pass in order to graduate. In between those classes, they are rushed into the next room—no time to talk, no time for water, no time for locker chats. After they’ve sat through 4 ½ hours of learning, they are finally given a break. That break consists of 24 minutes, during which over 200 students are expected to get into the cafeteria, get their lunch, eat it, clean up, and get all of their socializing out of their system for the day. Once those 24 minutes are up, they’re rushed up for one more 90 minute class (again, preparing for a high-stakes test) and a 50 minute advisory period, for which they do not get a grade, and often, do not have a true objective. When during the day is it OK for them to just be kids? Yes, they need to learn. Yes, they need to be given structure and clear expectations for behavior. However, at 24 years old, I think even I would grow antsy by about 20 minutes into the third 90-minute class (hence why teachers with this schedule often dread the class before lunch).

Growing up in New Jersey, I had gym four days a week from 6^th grade through 12^th grade. I also had 2 electives and a 45-minute lunch built into my schedule. My high school students only take 1 semester of gym during their four years at the school. That’s it. Electives? Just like gym, they’re only built into the 9^th grade curriculum. Some students in the 10^th through 12^th grades still participate in these electives by getting a pass to be excused from their advisory class and go join the 9^th graders, but these slots are limited and these students are a minority.

It is with all of this knowledge that I plan my lessons each day. I try to break up the period into shorter segments, and make sure students have cooperative activities, station work, or a hands on project to be working on at least a few times a week, so they can talk and move around a bit (within reason, of course.) However, this type of instruction can only be so effective. Their brains need a break. 4 ½ hours of learning without any sort of break is too much. Yes, the 90 minute periods give teachers more time to present tested material to students. However, how effective are those 90 minute periods in reality, if many students zone out or lose interest halfway through the class?