A Lovely, Silent, Well-Behaved Way To End Each Day
The end of the day or period can be a chaotic time.
You may be distracted, passing things out or giving last-minute instruction.
Your students, poised to leave, may not be so attentive.
Voices get loud. Misbehavior tends to increase. And holding students accountable becomes a greater challenge.
This underscores the importance of starting your wind-down early, of giving yourself enough time to calmly get your students ready to go.
It also pays to make the final moments of every day a routine like any other.
But there is one more thing you can do. It’s a super easy strategy that takes just 60 seconds and ensures that you finish on a positive note.
What is it?
It’s to lead your class in one-minute of silence. I’ve written about this topic before. (You may want to review the article before continuing.)
But I’ve since added a new wrinkle to the strategy that has made it even more effective.
The way it works is that just before giving the signal to begin your one minute of silence, you’re going to ask your students to focus on one thing in particular.
Focusing the mind on a single sound, movement, or thought has a unique way of calming excitability, restlessness, tension, and stress. In fact, it’s the basis behind the practice of meditation.
I’ve experimented over the years with a number of different objects of attention and have discovered three that work especially well.
1. Breath.
After giving your signal to start your one minute, have your students mimic you as you focus on breathing deeply and fully with your diaphragm.
Sit up straight (or stand) and place your hand on your stomach as you expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale. Depending on your grade level, you may want to count your breaths aloud or say the words “inhale” and “exhale.”
2. Gratefulness.
Just before giving your signal, ask your students to choose one thing about the class that they’re thankful for. It can be a person, a book, a lesson, an event or circumstance that happened that day, or anything at all.
They should keep that one thing in mind and allow it to make them smile or feel happy. They can also consider how they can return the favor or pay it forward.
3. Improvement.
Similar to gratefulness, you can ask your students to think about one area they improved that day. It can be something really simple like asked a good question or read without getting distracted.
Have them relive that experience by visualizing it, savoring it, and remembering how it felt. If they can’t think of anything, then they can choose something they’d like to improve and visualize how it would feel.
A Daily Touchstone
Taking a minute to focus on the breath or a positive aspect of their day is a great way to ready your students for dismissal.
It quiets and settles. It relieves stress and cuts down on last-second misbehavior. It sends them on their way breezy and content and ready for whatever awaits them.
It also supports a kind and peaceful learning environment.
But you don’t have to use my suggestions. What you choose to focus on is limited only by your imagination and what feels right for your grade level.
Try focusing on the ambient sounds around you on one day, for example, and their favorite place to be on the next.
Just be sure to make it a regular part of your dismissal routine.
In this way, that brief time of stillness and reflection will become a calming touchstone your students look forward to every day.
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