This can be a very precarious time of the school year.  With only 15 school days or so left in the year, students and teachers alike often want to unwind and get into “coasting” mode through to the end of the year.  Danger.  And I can see the effects of this already.

In some classes I see a defeatist attitude from some staff as they have mentioned there is nothing they can do to change student’s behaviors.  That will only lead to greater challenge.

As a principal during this time of year I often deal with the effects of classrooms without defined structures.  Students who are not engaged will act out – it is that simple.  When students act out in an environment without a defined structure, the teacher gets frustrated and outsources classroom discipline to me, immediately lessening their own authority.

And it frustrates the hell out of me.  I remember not too long ago when I was in the classroom and it never happened to me this way.  I was not teacher of the year but I pride myself in my abilities and successes.  Classroom organization and management were certainly strengths of mine.  I guess that’s why it kills me to see classes with such great potential and unharnessed energy not being pushed to their best and left to teach themselves, despite how much administrative support and expectation is placed on the teachers.  In one way I suppose this is how we begin to fail our children in school systems large and small.

So, no, now is not the time to unwind or else the next couple of weeks will seem like an eternity!