Calm & Consistency
Calm is Strength
Let’s face it: teaching is one of the most taxing and emotionally-draining professions. Not only are you charged the task of with teaching the content, but with simultaneously managing a group of 28+ children. That’s tough! There are many problems and issues that are raised in the classroom—ones of academic, social, emotional, and personal natures and you are expected to remain calm when presented with the wide spectrum of each. When a problem or situation occurs, it produces stress and the fight-flight reflex. learning to manage and deal with both is a sign of strength and maturity.
Handling the Fight-Flight Reflex
The fight-flight reflex is an immediate and natural response to conflict. When experiencing this reflex, stress increases, muscular tension is present, as well as adrenaline. Your heart rate goes up, which increases your blood pressure. Everything in you is preparing to either fight or flee. You can’t choose this response—it happens naturally, but you can learn to control it.
- Breathe. Relax and allow the fight-flight response to pass
- Breathe. Focus on calming the student and getting him/her back on task
It's Contagious!
Emotions are influential. If you are calm, you project calmness onto those around you. If you are upset, however, the people around you will become upset, as well. You have the ability to diffuse a situation simply with your attitude.
Consistency
There is no such thing as being “almost always consistent” or “usually consistent.” You are either consistent or you’re not. There is no in-between. For this reason, consistency can be hard for teachers to develop, but it is one of the most important and necessary attributes that you must posses. If you are inconsistent in your response to disruptions, you will never control your classroom: it will control you.
The Golden Rule of Consistency: “Never make a rule that you are not willing to enforce every time”
Consistency requires a response every time a disruption/rule infraction occurs. Your consistency cannot depend upon how you feel that day—students need to know that you will hold them accountable every single time. You cannot afford not to respond. If you ignore the problem or are inconsistent, you will have to use bigger and more costly consequences to address misbehavior. The good news, however, is that if you are consistent, the required response will become less and less.
Words to live by:
“If you are consistent,
you can use smaller and smaller consequences
to govern misbehavior.
But if you are inconsistent,
you must use larger and larger consequences
to govern misbehavior” (Jones, 2007).
In a 4th Grade Classroom
All students, no matter the age or developmental level need consistency. They need to be able to predict the day’s routines and activities, as well as your response to misbehavior. If students cannot predict any of these things, anxiety and stress kick in and they become unable to focus.
Spiritual Support
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Matthew 6:24a (ESV)
When dealing with students you cannot be of two minds--you are either calm and consistent or you're upset and inconsistent. While you may be able to give the outwardly semblance of tranquility, sooner or later you will explode if you are writhing inside with anger and frustration. Trying to be "devoted" to calmness and tranquility while wanting to do the exact opposite causes extreme stress and irritation. As a teacher, you must be completely sold into the idea of calm and consistent in order for it to work: you cannot serve two masters.
When dealing with students you cannot be of two minds--you are either calm and consistent or you're upset and inconsistent. While you may be able to give the outwardly semblance of tranquility, sooner or later you will explode if you are writhing inside with anger and frustration. Trying to be "devoted" to calmness and tranquility while wanting to do the exact opposite causes extreme stress and irritation. As a teacher, you must be completely sold into the idea of calm and consistent in order for it to work: you cannot serve two masters.