So, here we are in April. As I write this my students are celebrating April Fools Day by sitting in the wrong desks and answering to the wrong names. When this day began I had a choice. I could get mad about the pranks and tricks, or I could roll with it. I could end the fun, or let my students have a good laugh about pranking their teacher on April Fool’s day. Each day presents opportunities like this one, do I let my students have fun or do I make sure that each day lacks any enjoyment or fun? My personal view is to let them have fun.
Now, let me take a moment to say that we have a rule in this classroom. You have probably heard the saying, “It’s only fun if it is fun for everyone.” I reminded them of this rule at the end of the day yesterday. The understanding was that we could have a fun April Fool’s day, but they must consider others feelings when planning their pranks. We also reviewed the correct way to ask someone to stop, and how to ask for outside help if they will not stop.
That being said, allowing students to have a little fun with April Fool’s day can make the day enjoyable for everyone. When they first came in I played along with their change of desks and called them by the wrong names. We all had a great laugh and then I modeled how to ask someone to stop their pranks so that we could begin the math presentations for the day. Now, I know up above I told you that they are still going by the wrong names, and they are. They asked if they could still sit at the wrong desks and go by the wrong names just for the day as long as they did their work and were not disruptive. I agreed with those terms and we are still enjoying this fun little prank.
The key to allowing students to have fun in class is to set guidelines and then help them ensure that the fun stays within those guidelines. When silliness and fun has a set of boundaries, it ensures that the fun is safe. This allows everyone to have fun and just enjoy the time together. It may seem counterintuitive, but having fun can actually help students relax and learn better. I will tell you that today is one of the best learning days my students have had. Set some guidelines for your students and give them an opportunity to have some fun. You may be surprised at what happens.
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