A teacher's guide to surviving school until Christmas
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Loading... - EUGENIE JOLIE
- 08 Dec 2020
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Weary, bloodshot eyes gaze hopefully at the calendar. A sigh of resignation: still two weeks to go until the Christmas escape. The epic term continues and the to-do list doesn’t seem to be getting any smaller. Students appear to be changing into manic creatures whose energy is in mocking contrast to our own. How can we survive the final stretch of this marathon?
Cut the fat from your teaching
When exhaustion seeps in, we need to plan smart and evaluate where we’re investing our time and energy. So cut out all of the fat that is clogging up your lessons. Save the ornate PowerPoints or complex collaborative activities for next year – they will only fuel our tiredness and that of the students.
Instead, lessons should radiate direction and simplicity: what exactly do we want young people to be thinking about and doing? What is the easiest route for them to arrive at the skills we want them to demonstrate by the end of the lesson?
In the face of piles of marking – one of the more unwelcome Christmas gifts bestowed upon us – this is an especially good moment to employ time-saving tricks. Structure some clear peer and self-assessment tasks using checklists and look to use marking codes on other essential marking. Research from the Education Endowment Foundation suggests there is no difference in effectiveness between coded and uncoded feedback, as long as students have a clear understanding of what they stand for.
This is also a useful time for students to conduct their own workbook review. Have they responded to all the marking comments since September?
Collaborate with colleagues
This is not the time to reinvent the wheel or invest too much time in planning. Instead, delve into the treasure trove of your teaching repertoire and pull out the lessons that you know work and can sustain a peaceful and focused atmosphere.
Even better, join forces with colleagues so the whole department shares its best resources. Why drive yourself into the ground when so much expertise – and the perfect festive lesson – exists in the classroom next door? A good example of this is the 200 Word Challenge from head of English Chris Curtis, in which everyone in his department completes the same weekly writing task with students on a Friday. Since he shared this online via Team English, it has been embraced by a great number of schools.
Simplify your language
When we become tired, we often communicate less efficiently. So this fortnight is a good time to experiment with being sparse and direct in verbal instructions, which conserves energy and avoids repetition. Slow down the instructions you give at the front of the room to ensure the students understand your expectations.
We conventionally deliver 130-170 words a minute at a natural conversational speed. When we want to introduce ideas or explain concepts that are vital to students’ understanding, we need to adopt a more measured pace. One good technique is to pick out key words to say more slowly. Asking students to repeat the key points will help ensure they understand and save us precious energy. Slow your breathing and embrace the power of pausing.
Be stoical in your behaviour management
The chaotic behaviour always begins as soon as December starts, with numerous requests every lesson to watch a DVD. Even saintly souls can struggle to survive, but embracing the principles of stoicism can be helpful. It’s just a matter of finding ways to manage our emotions in the face of adversity and provocation.
While we can’t control the fact that young people become particularly hyperactive at this time of year, we can offer them stability, calm and routine when they enter our lessons. As the stoic philosopher Epictetus (who was born a slave, made lame by his master and banished from Rome) said: “We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” If we can sustain a quiet, assertive calm in our lessons, we can go some way towards influencing the habits of our students.
The alternative – irritability and erratic behaviour from us – will only add fuel to the fire. Instead, take deep breaths, slow down your reactions and try to maintain perspective. It may even leave you with enough energy to enjoy a Christmas feast at the end of term.
AKANCHA SINGH
Very Good Post