Every November, a familiar feeling creeps in. The initial spark of the school year starts to dim. The joy of teaching wanes, and I find myself questioning the purpose of our daily grind. It seems my students are caught in the same malaise, oblivious to the true value of education. I knew that we needed to do a mid-year classroom reset.
This year, a particularly challenging group has tested my limits. A mix of students with diverse needs, each craving individual attention that a crowded classroom can’t always provide. I, a single teacher, am stretched thin, juggling multiple demands.
This week, a pivotal moment forced a change. I realized that to shift their behavior, I needed to revolutionize my teaching approach. The status quo was no longer sustainable. In fact, a similar trend was emerging in my other classes, albeit at a slower pace. Late assignments, disregarded consequences, and a growing sense of entitlement were creeping in. It was time for a radical shift, a hard reset.
To initiate this mid-year classroom reset, I first had to acknowledge that I was the catalyst for change. This meant taking concrete steps:
Restructuring the Classroom: I rearranged the desks from collaborative groups back into rows and implemented a formal seating chart.
Reiterating Expectations: I dusted off our initial classroom expectations slideshow to refresh students’ memories.
Crafting a Message: I carefully prepared my remarks for each class. I wanted to balance positive reinforcement with constructive criticism. I aimed to celebrate their strengths, such as their enthusiasm and respect, while gently (but firmly) addressing areas for improvement. My goal was to inspire them, not to deflate them.
Truthfully, not every class period needed a mid-year reset. I wanted to keep this equitable and fair, so I decided that each class period could find something to improve upon and still reset. I also know that doing this now is going to help review classroom expectations once we return from Thanksgiving break in a few weeks.
Overall, this reset was the best thing I could have done for my classes. For some of my classes, this reset resulted in more classroom participation from some learners that rarely participate. For others, it resulted in a discussion as to why learners are not motivated. The answer? They don’t see the point in a lot of what they are learning when they already know what they want to do in the future.
As someone who was set on what they wanted to be from 10th grade, I completely understand their struggle and frustrations. I didn’t see the point in learning geometry because I was going to be a Spanish teacher, not a math teacher! The beautiful part about what we teach is that it matters in all aspects of life, but sometimes we just don’t see it. We can’t see it until it is right in front of us. Dare I say, we do truly have to remember our why.
Since it is Thanksgiving week, I want to end this post with a moment of gratitude to my friend over at Musicuentos.com, Sara-Elizabeth. She graciously shared a story with me about how a bilingual firefighter saved the life of someone in a fire who was also bilingual. No one else spoke the same language as them. Could you imagine the relief that the victim felt when someone could understand them? Could you imagine the relief the firefighter felt when he realized that he could truly save this person and provide words of comfort and support in their language?? The truth is that the firefighter could be someone in my classroom one day.
The future is sitting inside of my classroom and my job is to help form them into human beings with a skill set that is desirable and needed. My job is to share these stories with them to make them feel needed. To make them feel motivated. To make them care.
