The Beat Goes On
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. How I reframed a challenging moment in my classroom.
Picture this. Your epic learning experience of the day is staged and ready for implementation.
Materials? Check!
Scaffold for learning? Check!
Elements of joy? Check!
Eager explorers (that’s what I call my learners) file in, ready to talk and ready to participate. Some are happy, anxious, some are tired, overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrating, or carrying the weight of their last class, last night, or the journey to school today — a typical day of learning.
One explorer, for whatever reason, chooses this as an opportunity for percussion practice so loud that have no chance of gaining attention of other explorers in the space. There is no way the learning experience can begin at this moment in time — that epic experience that you have painstakingly planned.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The beat not only continues but has somehow reached rock concert level volume in your contained space.
Your mind races with questions.
- Did they have a bad night?
- Did they eat breakfast?
- Did someone say something to them?
- Did someone do something to them?
- Are they frustrated with an academic task?
- Is something happening at home?
- Are they worried about what today’s learning task will entail?
- Is it a combination of these things?
- What can I do to help?
Maybe your shoulders, neck, and head are beginning to harbor tension. What’s your move?
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM …
I found myself in this exact situation. This school year I have observed and experienced many behaviors I have never encountered in my 17 years and counting years as a teacher.
I’ve been digging deep into my educator toolbox, many days feeling helpless and worried that perhaps my skills in education have all but escaped me.
I feel like a failure, a mismatch, a fake, most days.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM …
All of these feelings of doubt consume my mind and I do not know what to do.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM …
Those feelings and my experiences this year do not make the drumming (more like POUNDING) stop.
What has brought on this behavior? How can I help?
I see the faces of other explorers, some amused, some confused, others upset and covering their ears to protect them from this jarring sound. I feel all of these emotions too. How can I help all of these humans, including myself in this moment and all of those like this?
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM … The beat continues in perfect rhythm, actually. It’s a great bass line.
Taptaptap BOOM, taptaptap BOOM … my brain and music could come up with an idea. I begin to sway to the beat using my shoulders to lead, bopping to the beat. My legs become my personal drum set, my hands become my drumsticks.
BOOM taptaptap BOOM taptaptap BOOM taptaptap
The room of explorers explode into the rhythm together. One explorer adds a percussive TSSSSSSSSSSK TSSSSSSSSSK.
Smiles slide through the room and we share an epic drum circle together. Eventually we lost the beat and they cheer to try again.
BOOM taptaptap BOOM taptaptap TSSSSSSSSSSK TSSSSSSSSSK BOOM taptaptap BOOM taptaptap TSSSSSSSSSSK TSSSSSSSSSK BOOM…
A quick reframe although this all seemed to last about two hours, even though it was probably more like 30 seconds. You know how time stops in these moments where you are faced with a decision — what can I do to best serve my learners?
I wish I could tell you I was this calm and collected every time or this slick with a reframe; but I am human too. I am not always in a place where this type of reframe happens for a multitude of reasons.
What I can tell you is that I’m not giving up. This year, which so far has already felt like two complete school years, has been the most challenging of my career.
I’m not giving up.
Every day, every moment within every day is an opportunity to help the humans in your care regulate, grow, and learn alongside you. Sometimes (maybe too often) it will challenge your very being, but we are here to help, we are here to grow, we are all here to learn.
Try to remember the power of a reframe as an option when challenges, especially behavioral manifestations occur. It is easy (and naturally human) to become angry, upset, anxious in these moments.
How can our reactions to these moments help regain calm? How can they help us remember to take a moment to meet learners where they are and see what opportunity to grow together we can forge?
What reframes have you used? What has worked for you?
Let’s collaborate and help one another!
