Stolen Teacherisms

Seeing as how this blog is meant to be a "pay it forward" space for me to share some of my knowledge of this multi-faceted profession with other teachers, I thought it fitting that my first post should be a list of awesome teacher lines & quirks I have stolen from those who have surrounded and inspired me. Whether I am waiting to ask another teacher a question or being forced to observe other teachers on campus in order to complete some boring form for admin., I almost always pick up some real gems for my bag of tricks.

There are lots of great classroom management strategies I have learned from other teachers, but what I'm really focusing on in this post are the little moments that have a big impact in building the kind of environment where students feel safe and happy. Here are a few great ones I have adopted as my own. Feel free to steal away!

On Building a Rapport with Students:

• You've just said something the kids clearly don't understand fully, but you still want them to connect to it/remember it for later: say "smile & nod" at the end of your unanswered question or phrase (repeated often, no matter how dense the material, kids will get on board and at least have fun)
• You're lecturing on a concept they haven't grasped yet. Throw in a lighthearted, common saying and let them finish the sentence for you like a lead singer of a band throwing the well known lyric to the audience: "easy come...________"
• You're making your lap around the room to see if students are getting it, and you encounter a troubling situation (misuse of a supply, goofing off, etc). This line is also my favorite when an art student asks to take a drawing home to work on it overnight: "If you don't ___________, I'm going to throw you out the window." This is especially fun when you are in a room without windows. Note: do not throw children out of windows. You can also substitute "throw you out the window" with "I'm going to bite you." Note: do not bite children.

Here are a few of my own twisted lines I use to make the children love me through playful humor: (most of these are stolen from my mother by the way...) 

• "Are you having fun?" (in a very serious tone:) "What have I told you about that? Fun is not allowed in my classroom!" You can also try just shouting "Hey! STOP having fun!" as scary as you can. It really confuses them sometimes, and almost always increases the fun being had in the room.
• If you have a student you already have a rapport with you can try the slightly more scandalous "If I have to come over there, I'm going to beat you with a wet noodle." Or, my personal favorite: "Bash your face against my hand, I'm too tired to slap you."

Granted, a few of the above comments might get you a phone call from an overly sensitive parent if used with the wrong kid. So, obviously you pick your moments, and don't use them with the wrong kids. I've only ever said some of these things with kids I know adore me completely, and it pretty much just makes them love me more. 

Here is a photo of a Pac Man drawing done on my dry erase board by a 6th grader who loved me so much, he refused to leave my classroom on the last day of school.

On Letting Go & Having Fun Yourself:

• Stop trying to control the environment every once in a while. Learning can be happening in a noisy classroom. I've seen it happen on multiple occasions in my own room, but walking into another teacher's class that I think is immediately too loud only to discover a smiling teacher friend with a room full of happy kids getting work done is really refreshing.
• Play music YOU enjoy. Last year at the beginning of the summer I deleted several channels from my pandora account of which I am not a fan (One Direction, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, etc). Obviously, it's good to cater to the students' favorites at times, but nothing reminds them you are a unique human being with your own special likes/dislikes than singing along to some Tom Waits or INXS in your classroom every once in a while. Sure, they look at you like the least cool person that every walked the planet in these moments, but you know better.
• Have a dance party. One of my favorite teacher friends just posted on Facebook the other day about stopping her math class to have a dance party in the middle of the day. Her middle school students learned to build relationships with each other, that it's okay to blow off some steam every now and then, and were happy and ready to get back to work at end of this interlude. Win, win!
• Set aside a few minutes at the beginning or end of class to show a funny cat video or two on youtube on the overhead projector. Or a sloth video. You know you want to.

On Getting Out From Behind Your Desk:

If you have a really well-behaved class that is fully capable of working independently, it can be really tempting or gratifying to sit at your desk and catch up on email replies or finish shopping for new boots. Don't do it. (At least not every time.) I have been so inspired by other teachers when I walk into their classrooms, and don't see them immediately only to find them sitting among their students working themselves. Ideas for working among the minions:

• Recruit kids that have finished a project early to assist you in organizing or completing a project in the room. Hanging artwork in hallways and display cases with kids is fast and easy, for example.
• Sit and draw with them. Do the painting, sculpture, whatever project right along with them. At their table. In one of their seats. You might only finish a portion of it, but you have another example for another class, and you feed their sense of accomplishment in so many ways by working along side them. Another fun twist on this is to not talk to them while you do it, and act as if you are completely enthralled by your task. It's contagious!
• Grade papers for another class at a desk or table in the middle of the room. It reminds them how much work grading can be if nothing else, and you get some grading done without being the drone behind the desk at the front of the room. 

What are some of your favorite teacherisms--original or stolen?

And here is a drawing I made into a poster for my classroom & shared with other teachers upon request.