I observed a teacher yesterday. He was in a pretty unfortunate situation. He was an art teacher subbing for a vacancy in the Spanish department. He did what any teacher who is not trained would do: he got out the books and had an out-loud reading session. Now, imagine you are a student who got placed in a Spanish class. You already speak bad Spanish and now you are informed that you don't have a Spanish teacher. A student in that situation needs leadership and reassurance that his/her time won't be wasted. Some of that comes from confidence. A lot of it comes from the tone of the teacher's voice. You've been a student. You know what it's like to have a monotone teacher. Or even worse, a monotone teacher that does not speak loudly!
I try to sympathize with my students while keeping in mind the psychology of varied inputs into the brain. I don't just say good morning to my students. I'm more like Robin Williams from Good Morning Vietnam. Goooood Mooorrrnnning Class! These kids need more sleep than adults and usually get less. Many can't make it to Starbucks or go by the coffee machine in the mornings. The least you can do is wake them up! On Monday's I'm practically screaming at my students! So let's all agree to not be like the "Bueller? Bueller?" dude from the popular Matthew Broderick flick.
All sounds are important. If I were the teaching god, I would not want to walk by a quiet classroom unless they are reading or being punished. If you have your own room, I suggest you play loud, obnoxious music for them to bang their heads to until the tardy bell rings. Strong music tells the brain to produce adrenaline in the body. It has the same effect on the brain as doing push ups before class. It also tells your brain to produce endorphins (happy hormones!). Loud music also has the benefit of preventing too many in-depth conversations getting started before the bell. One major drawback to this approach is they disrupt bell ringers. I don't do bell ringers, but I have no problem with them.
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