The Dreaded Hallway

The hallway of a school is the busiest place for the longest period of time than anywhere else in the entire building. It would make a fantastic Science Fair project if a student observed the various behaviors that can occur during a 3 minute transition period in the hallway.

In my experience, a quick trip in the hallway has resulted in a fist fight, lost lunch, stolen money, broken name tag, missing children, vandalized personal items, defaced notebooks, a broken high heel (me!), and most of all an excruciating amount of noise. Now, you may think in order for these things to happen the teacher is A) absent or B) not paying attention. Neither A or B are the correct response. Students surprise me each day with what they can accomplish without a person noticing. In fact, my students are always quiet, one right behind the other in the hallway. But, things still go wrong. How? I problem solved by placing them in boy-girl order. FAILURE. Because boys and girls are now friends. Ugh. I then placed a shy student with an outgoing student. FAILURE. The shy student now is a chatter box  and a new member of the guilty party. I must also add these are third graders (8 years old), so I am sure it only gets worse from here; especially in later grades when they are unsupervised during class changes and begin note-passing, high-fiving, and hollering to a friend at the end of the hall. The events that take place during a hallway walk not always happen at the same time (thank god!) or even within the same week. But over time, you will be surprised with how much happens in such a short amount of time. I think even if my students were the only ones in the hallway, something would still happen. In fact, I can guarantee it.

My teaching style requires students to follow procedures at all times. These procedures were introduced, practiced, and reinforced many many many many many times throughout the year. It’s important to move through the hallways without talking so as not to disturb the other classes learning. They get this 🙂  I think it almost challenges them to find new ways to communicate and commit these “actions” in the hallway. Thank goodness for safety patrol members to help keep students in line before and after school. I can only imagine what goes on then! (Nevermind, I don’t want to imagine!) Some teachers even use a star student to act as a “police officer” and walk around with a clip board writing down students who are misbehaving. This does not work for me only because that’s one more thing I do not have control over and the hallway is not a place I am willing to start to learn to loosen the reigns. Not yet, at least!

At my current school… (I have to brag now sorry!)…I have had such luck with my group of kids. They were so amazing, I could probably be absent and they would truck on as usual. Okay, well maybe not. But, they were pretty awesome. I found myself correcting other teacher’s kids because I did not have to worry about my own. My boredom in the hallway allowed me to see what else was happening outside my bubble! Most teachers loved that I was another set of eyes. I know I appreciate when I am busy handling one issue and a teacher steps in. But, I do think you need to have a  good relationship with your colleagues before you go shouting at their students! They may take offense. Luckily, no one took offense to my corrections.

How do you handle hallway transitions? Do you comment on another teacher’s class (good/bad)?

About the author, Gretchen

I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.

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