Interruptions
November 2nd, 2009Normally I can teach through anything…a testing of the fire alarm, some kid screaming in the hall…
At least that’s the way I think of myself. But today I stopped dead for a good three or four seconds. There was a buck bounding across the field outside and I was staring uncontrollably.
There is a story a co-worker likes to tell about a principal making an announcement that “a plane has crashed in the back field- everybody stay away from the windows…” Of course the entire school stampeded to go look.
I actually gave my class permission to stampede (really unusual behavior on my part). Then I tried to teach again. ”As we were saying about the use of infinitives- did you see his antlers?”
That kind of thing happens in my classroom, too.
Once there were cops running around outside my classroom looking for a fugitive. Shannon pulls down the shads and teaches away, grumping at anyone who dares to be distracted by the sight…
Or the first snowfall…I always teach through that….
But I bet the telephone rings more often in my classroom….*snarl*…
If you mean the cellular variety you are probably right. Land line? Debatable.
I think I would be more likely to stop class for a fugitive than for a deer (assuming those are not one and the same).
But if you stopped teaching because there was a fugitive running around outside than you would have to deal with the kids asking questions. At the time, math seemed a reasonable distraction…also, they didn’t know what was going on. Helps a lot.
I don’t mean cell phones….I mean classroom phones…