My first year of teaching was too much of a whirlwind to remember picking up on any patterns of behavior or energy. Starting in mid-October of my second year when my stress and the stress of my students and colleagues would reach unproductive levels, my Headmaster would remind the faculty of one of his private school axioms --  the third week in October and the third week in February are natural low points in private school energy and high points in frustration.  Whether or not this is a fundamental truth in modern American education can be debated, but I tend to agree with Mr. Salas. I'm sure a fair amount of confirmation bias has shaped my view, but several variables support the assertion. By mid-October, the novelty of a new school year has begun to wear off on both teachers and students. Review has given way to new learning and an increase in challenge means those A-plus grades everyone began the year with have all taken a hit.  Accompanying the move from review to new material are the final weeks of the first quarter.  Despite teacher efforts to spread out major assessments, the end of a quarter coincides with an increase in tests and projects that understandably raise stress levels in students and in teachers.

Over the years, I've heard many similar versions of the October and February lulls in energy from teachers and administrators at schools throughout the country.  Despite not seeing a single scholarly article on the topic, I subscribe to this and several other unscientifically proven beliefs about school behavior and energy levels. Among the most accepted is that as holidays and breaks get nearer, student energy and excitement increases (while teacher patience decreases). In the same category are the effects of any disruption to regular routine -- special schedules, assemblies, field trips, etc. As we move further from conventional thinking we get into the effect weather has on behavior. Oppressive heat or cold has predictable effects on muting energy levels, whereas the sight of the first snowflake, or a first clap of thunder lead to the opposite. Whenever there feels like an unexplained spike in student energy I've been known to check the lunar calendar to see how close we are to a full moon. I've had more than one colleague over the years who has asserted that, like their ailing knee, student behavior is tied to changes in the barometric pressure. 

These days, the only thing my knees and hips are able to communicate to me is my age, but there are moments in the classroom where conditions align and the hair on the back of my neck stands up with the awareness and anticipation of being in a moment ripe for profound student learning. It doesn't matter if it's my own class that I'm teaching, or if it's a colleague's class that I am visiting, these moments are electric and must not be taken lightly. Thoughtful preparation and planning increase the likelihood of these moments, but by no means guarantees them.   

I wonder if our wait for election results over the next few days (or weeks?) will provide us a similarly impactful teaching moment with our children. Our kids have likely long since picked up and even assimilated our political leanings, but now may be a great time to articulate the nuance in our views and beliefs. Potentially even more impactful is that in the time it takes for all votes to be reported lies another rich opportunity, the chance to share with our children how we are processing our own feelings and how we plan on navigating whatever the outcome the election brings. Of course, act two of the process is living out our stated plan, which may not be easy, but will definitely be powerful. 

The savvy educator works to cultivate opportunities for deep and impactful learning but is also always on the lookout to take advantage of unexpected situations that seem to materialize out of nowhere. My sense tells me we are currently in such a moment.