Winterize Your Classroom Ecosystems
As I deep cleaned my backyard garden this past winter break, I was reminded that winterizing is important in the gardens of our classrooms as well. For clarity purposes, I define winterizing as a collection of preventative measures designed to protect plants against damage caused by cold temperatures. The “cold months” of teaching are at our doorstep. Anyone who has taught in education long enough knows that the winter months of January and February can be bitterly tough. Less vitamin D from sunlight, looming indoor recess, relaxed student relationships, rigorous academic standards, and spring break too far on the horizon contribute to a challenging third quarter. However, if we winterize our classroom ecosystems properly, we just might weather the cold and delight in the spring growth to come.
CLEAN UP FROM THE FALL | Declutter your classroom
As autumn closes, you can easily become knee-deep in fallen leaves and dead brush in your garden. It is paramount to rake away the debris to avoid rodents and insects from finding warmth. This work will also make your work lighter in the spring as you desire for everything to look renewed and refreshed. Within your classroom ecosystem, removing last semester’s supplies, decor, and student work establishes a fresh beginning. It allows students to leave the anxieties and stressors of the last semester behind. Additionally, dusting and decluttering your space will lighten the load of work to do in the spring.
WATER BEFORE THE FIRST FROST | Know where your students are emotionally
The excitement of the fall has passed and the unnatural slowness of winter has arrived. In our hibernation, we are sure to “bump” into one another. During the middle school years, emotional stings are inevitable. These “frostbites” happen overnight and are guaranteed during this next semester. Before our students experience that first nip, ensure they are hydrated with our care and compassion. Check-in with them. Did anything happen over the break that will cause them to be dysregulated? How have they grown since you’ve seen them last? How have they fallen back? Often, if we emotionally connect or water too late, it will quickly become frozen against the growing hurt in their lives, potentially adding to the pain. Water early so they can weather the cold season ahead.
ADD A THICK LAYER OF MULCH | Reestablish your procedures & expectations
The easiest way to maintain appropriate moisture levels and minimize frost damage to plants is to apply a thick layer of mulch. Within classrooms, strong expectations and procedures serve as our mulch. Providing clarity to students saves you from avoidable behavior infractions and wasted classroom time. Classrooms that lack a clear procedure for every task (and I mean EVERY task) slowly wither to the frost of winter and are washed away by the rains of spring. To date, I’ve never heard a teacher regret reviewing expectations repeatedly, but I have witnessed teachers regret the lack of protection for their cultural soil. So, vigorously apply that protective mulch to reestablish the desired culture of your classroom.
AVOID FERTILIZING | Intentionality over excitement
For a gardener or ecological steward, winter is a time of rest and restlessness. In an effort to rush the beauty of spring, one may feel the urge to manipulate growth by applying unnecessary fertilizer. Not only is this a waste of time, but manufacturing growth during the cold season will lead to long-term damage. Rather, lean into the slowness of this season. There is joy to be found in deep and strategic academic work. There will be a time for transformation days, exciting activities, and over-the-top games…but that season isn’t now. Remind students why learning your content is important as a Christ-follower. Remind them that they can do hard things. Remind them that struggling now will produce growth. Show them the beauty in moving slowly, disconnecting from the world, reengaging with one another, and displaying gratitude daily. Fertilize with excitement in the spring when growth will naturally abound. I urge educators to mimic the season around them. Such is God’s design for creation.
PROVIDE WRAPPED PROTECTION | Differentiate for vulnerable students
Like some plants, there are students in our care who can’t weather this season on their own. Their journey hasn’t equipped them fully for the harshness of winter. Within my backyard garden, I decide to either bring them to a cozy indoor windowsill or wrap them tightly in burlap. Like fragile plants, these students need an additional layer of protection. First, recognize which children struggled previously during the warmth of the fall and wrap them in differentiated instruction to survive the freeze. Growth for them can and will happen, however, our intervention is required. Second, work with students to develop a plan for their growth. Instilling ownership for the child to advocate for their needs is key to long-term independence. I view differentiation as an ongoing conversation between student and teacher. “Billy, here is what I need you to learn and know by the end of this lesson, how can we best get you to our goal?” Third, ponder these questions as the steward of your classroom:
Do struggling students need directions presented differently?
Would small group work help them to process information?
Could assignments be adjusted to highlight their God-given strengths?
Could a deeper partnership with the home build a bridge of success?
Embrace the Season
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
- Psalm 1:3
We weren’t meant to yield fruit EVERY season. Embrace this winter in your classroom. Declutter your space and move a little slower. Be clear about your expectations. Connect with your children. Sit in their mess. Embrace deep academic root work. Wrap them in God’s patience for the spring to come.
