Now, I know there’s no real research on this particular phenomenon, but I’m telling you that January 31st is going to be epic in terms of misbehavior at school.  How do I know this?  Well, it’s going to be a full moon.  Oh, but not just ANY full moon!  It’s also going to be a total lunar eclipse AND a blue moon, meaning it’s the second full moon of the month AND a blood moon AND a supermoon.  Teachers, be warned!

When it comes to celestial events, kids are like animals – they sense things.  Same goes for weather events.  I don’t have to check the forecast to know there’s a change coming because my students will let me know through their behavior.  Whether it’s a front coming in, a large storm or winter snow, my students give me a heads up that it’s coming.  And heaven forbid that we have a celestial AND weather event at the same time.  Put that near a holiday break and it’s a recipe for teachers to start looking for a new line of work.  Even those quiet students that you normally don’t need to be concerned about feel the change and surprise their teachers with unheard of antics.

But why should this surprise us?  After all, the moon affects our tides and it seems to cause more women to go into labor (although some will say it’s storms that cause a rise in births).  According to a 2007 study, there are more pet emergencies during a full moon.  There is obviously something with our connection to the moon which can affect things in a mysterious way.  Why not children?  After all, children are sensitive.  They tend to just react to the way they feel in the moment.  While again, there are no studies that say a full moon will affect anyone either psychologically or physiologically, I dare anyone who is not a teacher to walk in and observe a classroom during a full moon.

Several years ago I taught at a school where I had before school duty outside, greeting students as they arrived.  This was a great time to check how they were going to be during the day.  There were days when you could literally watch them jumping out of their skin, constantly moving, talking loudly and quickly to each other, having difficulty keeping hands and feet to themselves.  It was as if they had so much energy that they didn’t know what to do with it.  It would be those days when I would think, is it a full moon? Is there a front coming through or a large storm approaching?  Most times, it was a resounding yes.  And then you take a deep breath and take them inside for the day, giving a quick heads up to the classroom teacher along the way.

So, the discussion I had with a colleague this afternoon was, why doesn’t it affect adults?  Would we know if it did?  I don’t think the kids realize what they’re doing so I’m not sure we would either.  Frankly, I do find myself a bit short on those days, and I don’t mean in stature.  Is it caused by the moon or is it caused by the students’ behavior which is due to the moon?  It all gets a bit confusing.  So, as a teacher, what can we do to prepare for these days?  In my experience, not much, I’m afraid.

Like most things there is the knowledge that this too shall pass, followed by “I can do this!”.  I mean, how long is 7 hours, really?  Well, on a full moon, it feels twice that.  So, the only good thing I can say about this coming Wednesday is this.  It’s payday and I think I know some places where I could go after school to unwind.  Any teacher friends care to join me?