Always Assessing

What is the emotional temperature of the class today?

Every day, teachers walk into school armed with a plan. They get their room all set, greet their peers and wait. What are they waiting for? Well, they are waiting to see how the day is going to go based on the initial assessment of the students when they walk through the door.

It’s not like we are always bracing for the worst but knowing that the students are tired because they had basketball practice, after school, winter sports, etc. the day before- we just know that anything is possible. We could either have a class full of tired and grumpy students or a classroom of calm, cool, and collected kids. We could start the day off well and then find that everything starts to fall apart at the end of the day. We could also start off the day in a chaotic fashion and end smoothly.

My point is this, if you are a teacher, you are constantly faced with decisions about how to work with what you’ve got in regard to the students in your care. You need to assess and adjust according to them. It can be hard at times, but hey- it’s Friday. So, pat yourself on the back for making it to today and try to have a little fun. You can change the temperature in the classroom to be just right for the day. Go with the flow and be flexible. Adjust your expectations accordingly and know that you are not alone. You got this!