The calendar at the Teacher's Corner says that February 25th is Quiet Day. What is Quiet Day? According to Webster it is a special day (religious) set aside for devotions, meditations and instructions.
Well I just love the sound of Quiet Day. If you were to meet me in person one thing you would notice right away is that I am an extremely quiet person. I am soft-spoken and rarely speak up in a group. I've always tried to be more social, but it's just not in me. After years of thinking I was just an odd duck, I have discovered I am a true introvert.
A colleague recommended that I read the book Quiet. So far I am loving it and feeling not so odd anymore. Did you know that 1/3 of Americans are introverts? This book has tons of info and I will share a bit more about it when I am done.
We also have students that are introverts. They don't necessarily love working in large groups, but like working alone or with a preferred partner. Introverts are also sensitive to loud noises. They enjoy quiet and comfortable surroundings.
So I have decided that we will use February 25th as a Quiet Day in my classroom. I plan to speak in my usual soft voice, but I will be the only one who can speak all morning! I am going to see if we can make it through with total silence in our classroom until recess.
To ensure that students are a bit quieter I plan to give them 5 Quiet points each.(5 tally marks on their desk with dry erase marker). If they speak above a whisper or disrupt our time they will lose a point. If they can make it through the morning and still have tally marks on their desk, then they will receive a Quiet Award (a bookmark and a pencil). Click on pic to download.
Activities I have planned include a read aloud, silent sustained reading, a review sheet, writing activity and a guided direction activity. Basically I will be reviewing our weekly skills and teaching as usual, without the students talking.
I already know which students will have 5 tally marks and which ones will have difficulty keeping even one. My poor extroverts! It will be tough for them, but it will be fun to see if they can do it. I'm sure they will be up for the challenge.
What do you think? Could you make it through a Quiet Day?
