How can I desensitive myself to the noisy classroom environment?

Question

This morning we're having extremely bad, tornado weather, so the students are trickling in very slowly. I've only got seven kids in my class right now and they're so quiet! It's great. I feel a lot more relaxed than I normally do in the morning.

Unfortunately, such quietness is NOT the norm. Even when kids are well behaved, they're still going to make some noise (ie: idle chatter/whispering, loudly scraping their chairs, dropping stuff, etc).

I think I became sensitive to a lot of movement and sound because I'm an only child, then when I went to college, all three of my roommates were extremely quiet people. Now I live w/my fiance who likes mellow, quiet evenings.

Answer 1

you have issues...  the best thing for you is to work at home helping out kids through the internet or something,get yourself a quite job where nobody bothers you, or just go home and give up your life :) lol

Answer 2

maybe you made the wrong career choice listen to loud music on headphones or something in your spare time get used to loud environments

Answer 3

First off, get over it. YOu became a teacher to teach. Noise is part of the biz. Its either live with it or find a different job. Sorry. Not much you can do about becoming Desensitized to it. Its all around you.

Answer 4

You eventually get used to a certain level of sound in daily classroom activities.

Answer 5

Environment is a determiner to any occupant at any particular time this will go a long way to influence your sensitivity however i will like you to work on your mind because out of the abundant of the heart the mouth speaks so control yourself by adapting to the scenerio wish you all the best

Answer 6

I'm sorry we forced you to take such a difficult and disturbing career. Take the rest of your life off, the kids will do well without a teacher.

Answer 7

Having the same sensitivity, I totally relate...and I think it's wrong that you have people telling you (above) to get over it or get out of the profession.

Guess what?  You have *students* who feel the same way you do about noise and disturbances.  It's normal, it's human, and the optimal learning environment is one that's peaceful and calm.  Be the teacher who provides that refuge in your school -- the classroom where kids walk in and say, "It's always so peaceful in here!"  Lord knows other classrooms are insane enough.

It's your classroom, so set the tone.  Establish an environment of calmness, not only for you but for the kids, too.  Is it going to be absolutely quiet?  No, of course not, but you can get it to a level, with repeated behavior mods and modeling, that's more relaxing...for everyone.  I don't buy the excuse that kids are always loud, noisy and uncontrollable and you should just accept it.

In my classroom, the lights have a "halfway" setting that I used instead of that awful fluorescent full-on brightness, and now the kids complain when someone changes it to the "all on" setting.

Also, try playing calm music in the background when they're coming in or working quietly.  You might be amazed at how it calms them down.  I wouldn't have believed the difference if I didn't try it for myself one day.

It's not crazy to want a calm, quiet classroom.  As an English teacher, the days I would have in-class silent reading were the days I actually went home with some energy left.