Teaching the Whole Student

January is a tough month for many, middle school students are no exception. It's been really cold where we live so students aren't getting outside as much, the cold and flu season is peaking, the days are among the shortest of the year and lack of sunlight is impactful. Post-holiday let-down leads right into the end of the quarter/semester and a final push with projects and tests. I've had so many reminders lately of the importance of teaching to the whole student (and to try and follow my own advice).

Caring for ourselves is crucial but it's particularly essential now. I need to be flexible regarding my expectations in the classroom and more patient with my students.  They are finishing quarter/semester activities in all of their classes and studying for assessments.

Taking the "emotional temperature" of the class each hour when the bell rings has been a great guide for me. It's pretty evident whether students are relaxed or not and many class periods lately have started with 3 minutes of "relaxation time". The students fold their arms on their desks and lay their heads down, concentrating on their breathing, We turn off the lights while I walk around to monitor. This has proven very beneficial to helping students "reset" themselves and it emphasizes that finding positive ways to mitigate student stress is very important to me. This investment has a very high rate of return and is well worth it.  Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs rings true-none of us are ready to learn or think until the majority of these psychological factors are addressed. 
https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

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