"If there were a little more silence, if we all just kept quiet ... Maybe we could understand something." (Frederico Fellini)
Being back at the hustle and bustle of school after a long weekend is always a hard adjustment ... For both students and teachers! Not only do I miss the extra sleep I tend get on my weekends and days off, I also miss the random little moments where I can just sit quietly and think about things.
A typical high school (like mine) is non-stop noise, so there is very little time for me (or anyone else for that matter) to pause and reflect. Finding the time to simply figure out if a lesson "worked" or not is difficult. Good luck locating a second to answer some of the bigger questions ...
I suppose that therein lies one of the main differences between my students and myself: I embrace the silence of the day, whereas they are fearful of it.
I always chuckle to myself when, as the class is working, the noise level naturally dies down to a very dull whisper, miraculously remaining that way for a couple minutes. "Wow! It's really quiet in here!" Someone will, inevitably yell out, giving everyone else in the room an excuse to get loud again.
It's almost like a protection mechanism.
When the room is quiet, one can actually think about things, gain insight and understanding ... And we wouldn't want that.
;)
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