Behavior Barometer

Behavior Barometer:

Effects of Weather on Student Behavior

by Robbie Patton

It’s 7:30 a.m. and it’s my turn for bus duty. Slowly the noise level increases as more and more students enter the building. It is hard to believe that all this noise and movement are made by 4 and 5 year olds. Was it a full moon last night, or is it raining outside? What else could be the reason for all the morning confusion by a hall-full of children?

We’re focused on teaching ABC’s and 123’s but often student attitudes seem to supercede our best efforts. Student behavior effects what is learned as much as how a learner responds to instruction. Does he/she often need an autocratic disciplinarian or a democratic care giver? Along with the knowledge of child psychology classes and various approaches to instruction, teachers may need to be aware of other factors that could influence student behavior. If deviant classroom behavior could be forewarned then the teacher could give some thought to preventing or correcting the behavior before it happens.

Scagliotta (1980) suggests that by using the classroom weather station (barometer, thermometer, and humidity meter) teachers can get a head start in assessing the days’ anticipated behavior. Teachers may be able to better understand why some students need to leave the room every thirty minutes to "really" go to the restroom (Persinger 1980) when all this time we thought frequent "users" were playing with the water in the sink and throwing paper towels in the urinals! Children may seem sleepy or slow learners (Landsburg 1977) when in fact they can’t help their behavior due to changes in the weather.

I have been a teacher of 5 and 6 year olds for the last twenty-five years in a small public elementary school in Dade County, Georgia. The students travel from Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain, from Wildwood and Rising Fawn to attend school in Trenton. Some students ride the bus as long as 1 ½ hours to get to school. The major industry of the County is Shaw, and Phelps Dodge with most of our parents driving to Chattanooga, TN or Ft. Payne, ALA to work.

There are times throughout the year when most of the student population seem especially rowdy or noisy. Someone will always say "it must be a full moon this week" or "there’s going to be a change in the weather"! I know that when I’m in a bad mood I always blame it on the weather. The weather in Dade County is usually seasonal and mild, with the exception of the blizzard of 1993 when 8" of snow fell and kept the schools closed for 1 ½ weeks.

Apparently there exists some substantiation for weather and effects on attitudes. Landsburg (1969) states that if a person is weather sensitive he/she may be drastically effected to the point that a change in the weather could initiate a change in attitude or behavior. A combination of high temperatures and high humidity seem to encourage poor behavior. Rosen (1979) found that hot and humid conditions may not only make a student uncomfortable, but that his/her mental responses may slow down. Restlessness would hinder the student from being a contributing member of the class and may also encourage periods of apathy, laziness, and "acting out". Aggression, endurance, liking of school, and play will depend upon outdoor temperatures, humidity, and other atmospheric changes (Rosen 1979).

The skin, nose, eyes, nervous system, lungs, membranes and muscles are affected by temperature, humidity, air movement or wind, and air pressure (Rosen 1979). Rapid changes in the weather will often cause negative physiology responses (Kalstein 1987). When rain is forecasted and suddenly the humidity increases and the air pressure decreases, even blood flow to the body can be affected (Kirchheimer 1993).

Johnson (1998) says that if people would realize there is a link in the weather and behavior they could take control of daily situations by being prepared for the changes. The way that people deal with weather may or may not affect their weather sensitivity. In a report by Temple University (1996) it was found that behavior could be changed by simply "telling" students about the weather (do we need to hang curtains in our rooms and keep the blinds closed so that during the school day we do not know what the weather is doing outside?). Weather related changes in behavior may have been slowly "building" and may be related to more problems than we think (De Haan ). When there is a disruption of a persons’ routine or daily pattern due to weather changes, their behavior changes (Parrish 1999). Patrick Core, meteorologist (1999) asserts that children can sense adult’s reactions to weather and the child reacts to the adult behavior. Children are more depressed in winter because the days are shorter and there are not as many opportunities for them, to go outside and play or explore, especially when the weather is cold. A child likes a daily pattern or routine that is consistent, and changes in the weather disrupt his usual routine. Weather may affect a child from one to two days before it occurs, on the day it is occurring (Parrish 1999) or even two days after it has occurred (Persinger 1975).

The passage of weather fronts seems to be a key indicator to behavior (Landsburg 1969). According to Landsberg the fewest behavior problems are reported in cool, calm weather, when there has been little change in the humidity from the day before, temperatures are seasonal or below, and the skies are clear, student behavior should be at its’ best. Behavior problems seem to increase when temperature and humidity are higher than the previous day, temperatures are higher than seasonal temperatures, and clouds are increasing (Kal 1982).

Researching the effect of weather on the behavior of my kindergarten class during the months of January and February 2000, I used weather charts from the National Weather Service at Chattanooga, Tennessee. I compared the behavior of the kindergartners to the changes in the weather for the months of January and February 2000. The class consisted of 13 boys and 11 girls. A typical day starts at 8:10 for these children and ends at 3:10. Throughout the week the children are involved in all academic subjects, plus separate classes for PE and Music twice a week. The students take a 30 minute nap at the end of the day. Most days during the month are non-eventful, smooth running, and highly predictable. There are not any problems or only minor inconveniences. Students do what is expected, lessons are learned and everyone is happy. However, there are days when paint is spilled more than once, tattletales are waiting everytime you turn around, kids are punching and knocking, and we’ve finished the lesson and there are two kids who have played through it all! Ah! It’s O.K. It just means that the weather is changing outside.

The average temperature for January and February in Dade County was 40-50degrees, with relative humidity of 30%, and moisture amounts of 30%. However, exceptions did occur during the months of January and February. This caused school to be closed several days because of snow and ice on the mountains making it hazardous for the school buses to travel. The only negative behaviors charted and compared to weather changes were tattling, pushing and hitting. Weather changes recorded were barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity for the months of January and February 2000.

The research began after Christmas break, January 2000. All 23 students returned to class ready to begin where we left off in December. I began my data collection by making a chart of each childs’ name and the three behaviors that would be recorded (tattling, pushing, and hitting). I began collecting daily weather charts from the National Weather Service from the Internet. The daily temperature, pressure, and humidity levels were used. Daily observations were kept and weather charts were available at the click of a mouse. Mild one day, the prediction of snow flurries the next, a hard freeze over the weekend…For 40 days we charted behavior and compared weather charts. Even though the temperature, pressure, and humidity were fluctuating the behavior was staying constant. The children were on task, doing everything they were asked. They were not agitated by each other and our winter semester was moving pleasantly along. Where was all the tattling? Pushing? And hitting? The weather was changing and yet the behavior in kindergarten was great!

Hot, cold, wet or dry, my research indicated that weather does have an effect on adult behaviors. Data collected from my own classroom did not show that the students noticed the weather changes at all! This class was "weatherproof". However, I was well rested from the holiday break and who doesn’t like the excitement of a day off when the weatherman is predicting changes? So my students may have "read" me pretty well! They weren’t excited at all, it was me.

The next time the weather changes, be sure your attitude does not affect the class around you! The tattling, pushing, and hitting may be a reaction to your REACTION to the weather!

DeHaan,Lauren and Dale Hawley, Coping with winter, parents influence how children

Johnson, Kate (1998)Change in the weather, change in health? Health and Fitness News

Landsberg, H.E. (1969)Weather and Health: An Introduction to BiometerologyAnchor

National Weather Service, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lovell Field, January and February,

Parrish, Gib (1999) Impact of weather on health, Center of Disease Control, Atlanta, 2.

Persinger, M.A.(1975)Lag responses in mood, reports to changes in the weather matrix,

Scagliotta, Edward G. (1980) Falling barometer-failing behavior Academic Therapy,

Temple University (1996) A Temple University Study shows when it comes to tipping,