Rain, rain, go away!

There are many advantages to teaching in a school with open courtyards: nature right outside your room, fresh crisp breeze, a table with an umbrella, etc. The only days I don't enjoy the structure of our school are on rainy days. When the rain is slanting in to the breezeways and the windows look out to a gloomy, foreboding sky it almost seems not worth the nice, warm days. But that's not even the part that bothers me. It's the students that act like it's the first time they've ever seen rain.

Now don't get me wrong.... elementary school children are almost cute when they're all worried about the thunder claps or the lightning, but older students aren't. In an otherwise orderly school, students are slipping across the bricks, trying to drink the rain, and acting like a hurricane is coming. I heard somewhere that turkeys can drown in the rain because they sit out in it and look up. I don't think this is true but my students thought the idea was funny. In my first years of teaching, I used to get all worked up about their frantic-ness but now I go with it and just make sure they don't hurt themselves or each other on their way to and from my class. Sometimes, like today, I prop the door open and we all watch the rain together. Good times.

Teachery tool #3: When there's a storm at your school and the students are nervous, or even if they're not (or at least are too cool to say so) give them an activity to do that involves the rain and your subject matter. In science, for example, have them journal about what weather patterns might have caused the storm. In language arts, suggest they write a poem about how the rain makes them feel. If you take a few minutes to let them think about the storm in a positive way that follows the objectives in your subject, you'll limit off-task, unconstructive time. They'll be more calm about what's going on outside and you'll remain in control inside.

Question: What was the worst storm you remember that happened while you were in school? How did your teachers react?