Turn That Frown Upside Down — Ending the school day in an exciting/enticing way

As teachers, we like to think our students enjoy coming to school as much as we do, but in fact, that is often not the case.

If you are a teacher, you probably chose the teaching profession out of a profound desire to share your love of school and learning with others. Unfortunately, not every child in your class will greet the school day with the excitement and motivation you would hope for. When that love of school is absent and is instead replaced with dread or dislike, what are you, as an educator, going to do to get things turned in a positive direction?

Before creating unique and exciting ways to entice your students in to looking forward to coming to school, you first have to do a little digging to figure out what is causing the child to not want to engage in the school process. Sad as it is to consider, there are some common reasons that children fail to engage. It is helpful to look at the most obvious culprits first.

• Is it possible that the basic needs of the child area not being met? Maybe a sad and disengaged child in your midst is hungry, tired or has a health issue of some type. As a teacher, you are most likely perceptive enough to figure out if this is the case.
• Is the child fearful? Are they socially and/or emotionally unprepared to handle the school environment? Is there a bullying issue? Often times children who have been too closely parented have trouble adjusting and bonding with adults other than their own parents.
• Could there be a learning barrier making it an unusually difficult struggle for the children to find ease in an educational setting? Are they able to see and hear adequately? Most schools have the necessary trained personnel to access these types of issues and provide the corrective support needed.
• Are there substantial language or cultural barriers that make it difficult to connect to the child? Many children come to us from families who maintain their cultural and primary language at home and it differs greatly from what the child experience at school
• Is it possible that the basic needs of the child area not being met? Maybe a sad and disengaged child in your midst is hungry, tired or has a health issue of some type. As a teacher, you are most likely perceptive enough to figure out if this is the case.
• Is the child fearful? Are they socially and/or emotionally unprepared to handle the school environment? Is there a bullying issue? Often times children who have been too closely parented have trouble adjusting and bonding with adults other than their own parents.
• Could there be a learning barrier making it an unusually difficult struggle for the children to find ease in an educational setting? Are they able to see and hear adequately? Most schools have the necessary trained personnel to access these types of issues and provide the corrective support needed.
• Are there substantial language or cultural barriers that make it difficult to connect to the child? Many children come to us from families who maintain their cultural and primary language at home and it differs greatly from what the child experience at school

There are countless other reasons why children come to school in a “not so happy” state of mind. Some careful observation will most often shed light on what the underlying issue is. Now the question becomes…What are you going to do about it? You and only you are the one who has the ability and the duty to ignite a love of learning in your young learners. The very foundation for the future success of your students is in direct correlation to the amount of effort and care you exert.

Assuming you are a great detective and a top notch problem solver, you will be able to address the troublesome issues and move forward with your plan to replace those negative feelings toward school with feelings of curiosity and excitement. Young children are naturally inquisitive and eager to delve into activities, so plan to excite and amaze them and you will have won the struggle. Below are a handful of suggestions to get you on your way:

• Grow plants that require daily care and maintenance.
   This provides an opportunity for a child to learn that there are things in the world that depend on us for survival. It cultivates a sense of caring and nurturing. It will give purpose to coming to school for a reason other than “academic” work.
• Get a classroom pet.
   This follows along the same lines as growing things. The unconditional love and affection of a pet is a strong motivator to a young child. Classroom pets provide awesome opportunities for learning in numerous ways and are a joyful addition to a cozy and safe classroom environment.
• Engage the help of a fellow teacher at a higher grade level than yours to begin peer tutoring match-ups.
   Short daily visits between friends of different ages not only can be a helpful academic tool but also helps to build confidence and social skills. Plan fun and silly activities to help spark the friendship between children who might not have known each other previously.
• Lunch dates with teachers.
   Invite a small group of students in your class to have lunch with you. Avoid one on one lunches as it might be intimidating to a young child but instead choose a small group of students whose personalities complement each other. Use the time to chat and get to know each other in a light hearted manner. Lunches with students provide a great window into the lives of your students.
• Begin reading or watching an age appropriate book/movie.
   Choose something that will be enticing to the students and share just a small bit of it each day. Always end the segment in a place where the children will be eager to come back to learn what happens next.

Thankfully, most of your students will come to you eager and ready to learn and share in the school day. That being said, there will always be a small handful who will require a bit more effort on your part. Go the extra mile and make the effort to diagnose the issues that are keeping your reluctant learners from wanting to come to school.
 Setting a child on the path to a love of learning is the best gift you can ever give.

Rebecca Eckenrode, Early Education Teacher 
Classloom Blog Writer