Each semester, Project MARS/AmeriCorps collects “Great Stories,” in which its members reflect on their experiences mentoring in the classroom and the progress they see students making. This month’s story comes from Talon Stiles.
I have a class of fifth graders that is very loud. Not mean, or hateful, but loud, as in they yell … every … thing … they … say. And it has been a struggle to get them to stay at a normal noise level.
The root is one child who is extremely intelligent, but has a bad home life. He yells/screams when he talks, and his classmate constantly yell to talk over him and because they are acclimated to that being the norm.
I have found some short-term solutions to this. I have these kids for art, so we listen to music while they work. They love listening Metallica, so if they keep a regular noise level during instructions, then they can listen to Metallica (instrumental) while they work. And it has seemed to help!
