Last month, my students performed their formal recitation for the semester in front of their parents. This is a day of great anticipation and, sometimes, anxiety for the students. When we had finished our performance and returned to our classroom, my whole class was a bundle of excitement, adrenaline, and relief. We still had about 10 minutes before they needed to head to music class, plenty of time to fit in some math fact review or to go over our spelling list. However, instead of using those last few minutes to cram in some more academic review, I decided to share a personal story.
For those few minutes, I told my students about a time I had to perform in high school. I described how I, like them, had been nervous about being on stage in front of everyone but that, despite the nerves, it had been so much fun to rehearse and practice together. I told them how one of my classmates pranked some members of our cast by giving them Naughty-or-Nice jellybeans, hoping to see their grossed out faces. My students in glee then shared some silly pranks their family members had pulled at various times. Some might feel that this was a wasted opportunity for instruction. However, I find sporadic moments like that to be invaluable in bettering my instruction throughout the year.
Each day, our students are asked to work hard to learn, focus, and listen. This process is essential for their growth and happiness; however, it is tiring and difficult. Interjecting these lighthearted moments goes a long way in fostering a good relationship with my students. They get a chance to see me as someone who appreciates humor and has lived some experiences that are similar to theirs. It gives me a chance to get to know them more personally as well. This whole exercise helps to build closer trust and respect between the students and myself which makes it easier when I challenge them to do something hard.
My school provides many opportunities throughout the year to help foster these deeper relationships. Each week, the teachers at my school are asked to eat lunch with the students. We also go outside to recess frequently to interact with the students at play. Each opportunity is invaluable to helping me form the community I need with my students to help them grow and learn. So, while I was just telling a story about some gross jelly beans, the benefits are very rich for their learning.
