How long can YOU sit still?

Reptiles have an uncanny ability to remain completely motionless for long periods of time. (Image by miniformat65)

My friend Rose had an evening seminar-style class that ran for more than two hours.

An entire week’s worth of material, covered in one night.

Rose and her classmates found themselves acting like seventh graders. Despite the fact that they were all professionals with internships or jobs in their career field, they would giggle and get off track, carrying on exactly like teenagers.

They took the material seriously, but couldn’t always engage seriously. One day, however, they showed up and conducted themselves maturely. The difference was so marked that their professor commented on it.

As it turned out, the day was a holiday. Instead of working all day only to attend class at night, they had had some time off. They were rested and well-fed. Accordingly, they could actually concentrate and act like adults.

Humans are’t robots. The conditions have to be right to engage peak levels of concentration. I don’t know about you, but I can’t do anything challenging if I really need to pee. No matter how hard we try to overcome our difficulties, it’s natural to be distracted by them. It takes a lot of energy to compensate, and eventually that energy runs out.

Those of us who have risen to positions of power, such as teachers, managers, and coaches, seem to have forgotten what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a lecture or day shift. Ironically, we often expect more refined comportment from children than we are in the habit of demonstrating ourselves. Just watch a group of teachers at a professional development event and see how they chatter and carry on. Even though they know what it’s like to be at the front of the room trying to calm everyone down, they are excited to see their friends and stimulated by the change in routine. They can’t help themselves, and so they misbehave.

There are circumstances (for instance, the military) in which it is of critical importance to precisely follow the expected standard of behavior regardless of how you feel (or whether you have to pee). Such discipline is highly valuable and makes all the difference between the success and failure of the endeavor.

However, I would argue that school should not require a militaristic level of obedience. If we expect children to conduct themselves quietly and obediently in class, we have to make space for them to cut loose, too. Even soldiers get to be at ease once in awhile.

In the moments between classes and while class is coming to order, it is normal for kids to chat with each other. It’s what adults would do, too. And the longer the students have gone without a break, the more boisterous they are going to be.

Adults can and do handle these moments punitively, but it is far better to be proactive. If kids have adequate time to run around and socialize, they will perform better. And if classes are set up to be interactive and engaging, students will direct their energy to that, rather than desperately trying to wreak havoc.

If we put ourselves in children’s shoes, we will see that they are not disobedient, poorly bred, or “out to get us.” They are simply human. The more we can recognize that they are just like us — and we are just like them — the more we can create humane and happy classrooms, workplaces, and homes.