Chapter 76: Dia duit!

Dia duit! (That’s Irish Gaelic for “good morning.”)

I had a very good morning Thursday, and a very good afternoon, too, despite it being the day before Easter break. There were several reasons for this, but I think the main one was the set of Celtic music CDs I found in the free basket in the teachers’ lounge.

I had to track down a CD player, because there isn’t one on my computer, but Ron had an external drive that he let me use, and I spent part of Thursday morning ripping music to my hard drive while the kids were busy with club meetings.

Then I did a magic trick.

This is an old trick that I’ve heard other teachers mention favorably, but it’s one I’ve never used before, and it worked way better than I anticipated: I turned the music to a low volume — loud enough to hear when the room is quiet, but not loud enough to be distracting — and told the kids to keep their voices soft enough to hear the music in the background.

I’ve never heard them quieter.

The music was nice — very soothing, and a great addition to that sensory-friendly “Nature Company, ca. 1997” vibe I’m trying to cultivate in my room — but I think what really kept them quiet was the fact that we now have a tool to help them self-police. If I say, “You’re too noisy; please quiet down,” they’re skeptical. How do I know they’re too noisy? What does that even mean? “Too noisy” is completely subjective. But if I say, “Guys, I can’t hear the music,” they can listen for a second, confirm that the music is, indeed, inaudible above the din, and make adjustments on their own.

I wish I’d done this in August. My whole year probably would have been easier. I’m definitely keeping this idea for future use.