Wednesday, March 20, 2024
I did four days in fourth grade last week and it was absolutely delightful. I have four days scheduled with fourth graders at a different school this week. I almost cut it to one after yesterday. This week’s class of 30 kids is a real challenge. They are sweet and cute and do not stop talking. Ever. They talk loudly, too. I cannot be loud enough to be heard over them. Their classroom does not have microphones. I thought all of the district’s schools now had microphones. I don’t usually use one, but if there is a project or group activity going on, it is the absolute best thing to be able to just whisper “Shhhhh” and have them hear it and respond.
You could walk up to any one of this week’s kids and shout in their ear. “STOP TALKING,” and they would nod and keep talking. They talk ALL DAY LONG. They talk during direct instruction. They talk while “doing” work. They talk while they are in the hall. They fight at lunch. They fight at the end of recess when it is time to line up (because they firmly believe they should not have to line up). The only time they stop talking is if you read them a story. It is like a couple minutes of heaven. Both of the fourth-grade classes at this school are the same, so something is in the water in the area. They were kindergartners when pandemic started, and I have repeatedly heard that that is why they are so bad at going to school. Maybe. But last week’s fourth graders, and the other fourth graders from this year have been great, so it is not a universal factor. And it doesn’t matter. Whatever; whyever; it is what it is. I don’t think we should be giving them a pass on appropriate behavior because they are making it hard. We should be trying harder.
The staff all seem to know how hard they are. The teacher’s sub plans said they are chatty, usually out of their seats, and hard to get to focus on anything. Other teachers keep stopping by and asking if I am okay. The office ladies ask if I will come back tomorrow. The social worker stopped by three times today.
There is something easier about unruly fourth graders than unruly middle schoolers. I can’t say exactly what it is – I guess it seems like the fourth graders have no control over themselves. The talking is just happening. They really don’t seem to be trying to be off task. They just are. Middle schoolers roll their eyes and tell you they don’t have to listen to you. So, I went back today, and I will go back tomorrow. Friday is going to be a really busy day getting everything finalized for our big trip to Wisconsin. Maybe when they ask tomorrow if I’m coming back, I’ll say no. I’m interested to find out.