The other day The Principal observed that a cool, rainy winter keeps the kids much calmer than a warmer, dryer winter. As she put it, there's something about the warmer weather that makes them lose their minds. Considering that she has two middle schooler's of her own at home, as well as the years she's been at our building, she knows what she's talking about.
The last few years we had cold, long, snowy, rainy winters. Dreadful winters (for My Beloved South, don't get all snarky, those of you in the Great White North.) And, I think we got a bit spoiled because the kids didn't act really crazy until mid-April. Of course after that it was absolute madness, but we were braced for it.
This year has been completely crazy.
Aside from having no measurable snow (and having just used one of our three snow days), it has been a rather warm, dry winter. And this warm, dry winter, has morphed into a very, very early spring. I have plants blooming about 4-6 weeks early if that gives you any idea of how early.
And the kids are blooming early as well.
The kids began losing their minds towards the end of January, a full two months early, and it hasn't let up since. Whereas last year we didn't have any fights until April, we've already had quite a few and it's only the first week in March. We've had kids expelled (and that's rare, even for my building), and so many stupid things happen that I'm starting to think these kids really are possessed. Some of the fights are just stupid boy things where the kids are horsing around, "having fun", until someone gets annoyed and it gets serious. And then there are the stupid girl fights that usually begin because girls can't shut up about each other and there's almost always some boy involved.
It's just plain stupid.
And I'm looking forward to the rain tomorrow in the hopes it will calm them down.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Ooo, Mrs. Bluebird...elementary children get all goofy, too, with this weird weather. We have not had a single snow day this year. Go figure!
Sez Mrs. Gumby who lives in the Great White North!
Do you notice bizarre behavior when it gets windy, too?
Darren, it's windy here a lot, but nothing like Santa Ana winds. However, when it gets really windy here, it's thunderstorm and tornado weather and that has a whole 'nuther set of issues. We've already spent one class period during a tornado warning and the season isn't truly upon us yet. The kids get a little antsy when they know severe weather is on the way. But generally windy days...not so much.
From student teaching, my middle schoolers started getting crazy towards the end of April. New York has had one of our warmest winters yet, so this time right now is pretty much mid-late April on a regular year. Thankfully, the kids this year are well behaved (at least for now), but I'm worrying about behavior issues that may arise later!
Its the opposite for us as bus drivers, while we prefer cooler days, the rain drives our kids nuts because they've been cooped up all day in school. They become loud and obnoxious and tend to fight and lose it about 15 minutes from getting home for the day.
Post a Comment