Principal Matters!

Welcome to Friday the 13th! As a school administrator, you groan when you look at the calendar and see such a thing. Whether you’re baseball coach-level superstitious or your only tell is that you try to avoid black cats, MOST people are superstitious at some level.

And as a leader of a building full of students, teachers, and staff, you’re not wrong to be suspicious of phenomena that influences behavior. But is it true?

I deployed my research assistant (Chat GPT 4.0) to explore the question (and I recommend that you utilize the generative AI of your choice to help you get quick information on topics you’re exploring). Here’s what I got, along with sources (I always ask for those with every search). Enjoy!

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When it comes to school behavior, educators often cite factors like weather, moon phases, and certain calendar dates (e.g., full moon, Friday the 13th) as triggers for poor behavior. However, scientific studies indicate that these factors have limited influence, and other environmental or psychological aspects may play a larger role in student behavior. Here’s an analysis of how various factors—like weather, time of year, and days of the week—might affect student behavior, backed by available data:

Weather and School Behavior

1. Temperature and Aggression: There is some evidence that high temperatures can lead to increased aggression. A study published in Psychological Science found that as temperatures rise, aggressive behavior increases. This is particularly relevant in school settings, where warmer days may coincide with more instances of student misbehavior. One study from the American Journal of Community Psychology found that children’s aggression tends to increase with higher temperatures, particularly in unairconditioned classrooms.
2. Rain and School Absenteeism: Rainy weather has been linked to increased absenteeism, but not necessarily more misbehavior among students. According to a 2017 study by the Harvard Kennedy School, rain tends to decrease attendance, which can impact learning and school climate indirectly, but it doesn’t consistently cause an uptick in behavioral incidents among students present at school.
3. Seasonal Patterns: Data on seasonal trends often show that student behavior tends to deteriorate toward the end of the school year. A 2004 study from The Elementary School Journal highlighted that behavioral referrals and incidents tend to spike in the spring as students anticipate the summer break. This suggests that factors like excitement, fatigue, and anticipation are more likely to affect behavior than external environmental factors.

Time of Year and School Behavior

1. Holidays and Breaks: Behavioral issues often increase in the weeks leading up to major school holidays, like Thanksgiving, winter break, and spring break. Anticipation of time off, combined with disrupted routines, can lead to students acting out. A study by School Psychology Review found that discipline referrals spiked just before holiday breaks.
2. End-of-Year Decline: As mentioned earlier, behavior tends to worsen in the final months of the school year, with the last few weeks being particularly problematic. This is supported by research in the Journal of Educational Psychology, which highlights that spring fever, combined with burnout, plays a significant role in classroom management challenges during these periods.

Days of the Week and Behavior

1. Mondays and Fridays: Many school leaders report more behavioral problems on Fridays and, to a lesser extent, Mondays. Fridays often coincide with the excitement for the weekend, leading to more restless students. Similarly, Mondays can bring “re-entry” challenges for students transitioning back from the weekend. Data from a 2013 Journal of School Health study shows that behavioral incidents, particularly involving disengagement or disruptive behavior, are higher on Fridays than on other days.
2. Midweek Calm: Interestingly, schools often experience a relative calm in behavior on Tuesdays through Thursdays. A study from the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that both productivity and student focus peaked midweek, with fewer disciplinary issues recorded on these days.

Other Factors Impacting School Behavior

1. School Environment: Crowded, noisy environments, particularly during transitional times like lunch or hallway periods, tend to correlate with an increase in misbehavior. Data from the Journal of Educational Psychology found that these transition periods see higher instances of conflicts and defiance.
2. Extracurricular Events: Schools often see spikes in behavioral issues around significant events like homecoming, prom, or sports championships. A study from the Journal of School Leadership revealed that the anticipation of such events often leads to disruptions, either due to excitement or peer pressure.

Conclusion

Although superstitions about full moons and Friday the 13th persist, there is little scientific evidence to support the idea that these factors directly influence student behavior. Instead, environmental factors like temperature, days leading up to holidays, and the school calendar (particularly Fridays and the end of the year) have a more significant, documented impact on school behavior. Educators may see patterns based on their own observations and experiences, but many factors influencing student behavior are more psychological and environmental than lunar or superstitious in nature.

Sources:

• Psychological Science, American Psychological Association.
• Journal of School Health, National Association of School Nurses.
• Journal of Educational Psychology, American Psychological Association.
• School Psychology Review, National Association of School Psychologists.

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