By Patti Grayson

What are your picks for the five craziest times of the school year?

You know, those times where the kids are so spun up that you realize nothing you say will be remembered tomorrow? You ask yourself, “Why am I even trying to teach today?!” Here are my votes for days when students (and teachers) are at their craziest…

Spirit Week

Oh boy. Nothing like a whole WEEK of insanity. Sports Day! Pajama Day! Twin Day! Wacky Tacky Day! The kids come dressed in their wildest get-ups and can hardly fit behind the desks, much less focus on learning.

We have a strict dress code at our school, so when we turn the kids loose – Watch out. Teachers get to participate as well, so it’s quite the event. Our Spirit Week leads up to our Fall Festival and Homecoming weekend. I’ll admit it’s great fun… But, boy, am I glad it’s only one week a year.

Halloween

When I taught in our lower school division, the students got to come to school in their costumes and then at 9:00 a.m. paraded through the halls of the middle and upper school to the cheering of the “big kids.” The rest of the day was pretty much shot. The youngsters changed clothes after the parade, but there was no hope for instruction as they eagerly anticipated the Halloween party scheduled for the end of the day!

In our middle school, the parade begins the madness that leads to the Halloween Dance that night – in costume, of course! The sign outside my classroom door reads, “The Witch Is In!”

The Entire Week Before the Holiday Break

They know. They can’t wait. The long haul to the break is almost over, and they are so DONE. Calendars are packed with parties and concerts. You haven’t done ANY holiday shopping. Everyone has been bringing treats to school since Thanksgiving, so you spend your days teaching in an over-stuffed sugar coma while your students bounce off the walls singing Jingle Bells. It’s a lost cause.

The First Snow

I teach in Virginia where we don’t get much snow, but I assume this is universal. The first time those big fat white flakes begin to fall, you may as well give up.

The kids have been talking about the forecast all morning, and now there is no way you can possibly compete with your suddenly enormous classroom windows. It’s SNOWING!!!! Wait – Is it sticking? Is school closed tomorrow? Are we going home early? Just give up and take them outside to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

Juuuuunnnnnne!

If your school year extends into June, you know what I’m talking about. June is summer. The pool is open, for crying out loud! What are we doing in school?!? The end is SO near. The days are gorgeous. Quit gazing out the window, teachers, you’re not done yet!

What special crazy days crowd your teaching memories? The (long ago) day your  Christmas tree decided it preferred a horizontal alignment? The day school let out too late once it started snowing? The June “field day” it was too hot to play outdoors? Tell us about it!

Patti Grayson (@pattigrayson) is a middle school teacher at Hampton Roads (VA) Academy and is a member of their digital learning leadership team. She currently teaches Math, English, and a Computer Skills/Digital Citizenship course at the middle level, but has spent most of her teaching career in 3rd and 4th grade.

Patti’s articles have appeared at Powerful Learning Practice, MiddleWeb, MindShift, and Teach.com. Her Mystery Skype Lesson Plan is available at the PLP Store. She blogs at Patti’s Ponderings. Read her recent top 10 MiddleWeb article: The 5 Best Times to Use Technology in Class.