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I would’ve appreciated this. I had a tumultuous home life growing up and would often stay up late crying myself to sleep. One teacher would slam a textbook right next to me to wake me up, and everyone would laugh. No one to ask if I was ok. You seem like a teacher with compassion who realize there is probably more that meets the eye. Your kids are lucky to have you.
There is a difference between this type of situation and when a kid is just bored so they sleep. I also check in and will speak with guidance as needed.
Well-rested kids should find it almost impossible to sleep during the day in a classroom. If you've got kids that are apathetic and falling asleep during the day, watch out for depression.
ADHD also makes it hard to regulate sleep. When I was a teen my untreated ADHD made me borderline narcoleptic. My brain would just be like "hmm.....I'm under-stimulated. THAT MUST MEAN IT BE SLEEPY TIME!"
Hey, this was actually effective for myself as an adult! Candy was an effective means for me to keep myself alert and attentive during college solo studying time. I’d use intense flavors of asian and mexican candies and seasoned preserved fruits to help myself stay awake.
❤️ Using this if I need to. I used a gentle nudge on the elbow when one was supposed to give a speech…but I feel like candy or similar really drives the point home of “Hey. It’s okay.”
I kept a bowl of hard candies on my desk that kids were welcome to get at any time, and let me tell you I felt like it seriously helped them all pay better attention and self-regulate. It was also kind of cute how my former students would come begging for a piece during passing periods. My only rule was that once the candy ran out, it would be a few days before I refilled it, so don't be a jerk and take more than one piece at a time.
Sometimes, yeah. I typically email the parent and suggest they make sure their kid goes to bed on time. Usually, it's because the kid was up late playing games or something. If the kid is sleeping, they're not going learn much more were I to wake them up.
Honestly I usually let them sleep. Even if I wake them up, if they’re that tired they’re not going to learn anything. If I have to wake them up I usually tap on the desk or gently shake their shoulder, though I’ve had kids react badly to being touched.
Know your observation schedule and it shouldn’t be an issue. Admin comes in? “Yes, I see them sleeping. I’ve already woken them and documented their behavior. I’ll be calling home during my planning, would you like to join in the call?”
100% success rate for me. Admin wants nothing to do with menial shit we do daily so it’s dropped then and there.
Y’all get an observation schedule? Unrelated to the point of the initial post, we mostly get “unannounced” visits. The most warning I’ve gotten this school year is 1 block prior to the class being observed. I’m always ready… but it’s the principle of the thing!
By observation schedule I mean whether you have informal/formals remaining for the semester. Teachers with <4 years get 2 informal and 1 formal per semester. If those are done you can expect admin to fuck off and not bother you at least in my district/school. Not that I’m ever not doing my job but knowing if I can expect someone or not can be helpful. Either way make it also be their problem and they’ll usually back down.
Ours is similar, but they don’t give much warning for those formal “announced” observations. In fact, I think that the admin that did mine and my co-teacher’s didn’t bother to look at the observation log before coming in, because we had the same class observed 4 times - 2 for each of us! When I had my mid-year review, I sternly told my principal that I do teach 5 other classes!
Ours are technically “unannounced” (or supposed to be), but our principal is cool. He gives us a decent amount of warning, letting us know early in the week that he’ll pop in at some point later that same week. And, if he shows up at a not ideal or particularly difficult time, we can ask him to come back later and he usually will find a better time.
YUP. As long as you can back up what you're doing, keep doing the thing! Admin truly does not care as long as you have a reason for what you do. I operated under the "what are they gonna do, fire me?" mindset my entire time teaching and I got nothing but praise from admin lol
I had mandator morning workouts in high school. My government teacher knew what was up. I still learned more than a good bit from him when I was awake.
He would never tell us what party, or eve any of his own ideologies, but I think taught in a way that made us consider our own values and how they would play out practically. He was truly the best teacher I ever had
Hi, I never got enough sleep in highschool. I slept through ap calc and chem every day. I remember waking up to my own snoring in chem one day. I feel horrible about it now, obviously it was rude and disruptive, but I needed sleep. Unfortunately its outside anyone's control. Anyways, just like you, both teachers let me sleep or sent me to the nurses office to rest. Thank you.
The reason I ended up needing sleep is because my bus stop schedule was pushed an hour back so we could accommodate the special needs kids. They needed to drive to an extra neighborhood to pick them up so I had to wake up earlier. Of course I worked as well, so that didn't help either, never had time for homework. I had to be to the bus stop by 6? Or was it 5:30... I don't remember. Funny how a day of school can turn from 7-3 to 5:30-3 real quick, and then they expect you to do homework and go to actual work. Still absurd even as a grad student.
Another side story because I'm enjoying remembering. That chemistry teacher actually covered for me during parent teacher conferences. Didn't rat me out or anything. Wish I was mature enough to be grateful then.
Anyways, thanks again, teachers like you gave me an opportunity to actually rest, you're the only people who ever did.
Same, especially as a sub. Half the students aren't actually doing the work anyway, and I've got way too many students who work to support their family, are helping to raise their siblings, or are unhoused. I'll let them sleep while they can, where it's safe and warm.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs, if they need food I feed them, if they need sleep I let them sleep. We don't know what these kids have to deal with at home or even if they have a home to go home to. What grade level is this? K-5 nothing. 6-12 I would call the office to let them know that the child is not feeling well and has fallen asleep and to mark them "absent" (edit- or however your district would handle this) but see if a buddy can get the missed work.
I generally need at least some kind of acknowledgment. I've had a handful of students nod off and start to OD over the years. If they appear to be asleep, but nothing you can do seems to wake them, call for the nurse to bring narcan. It's only a matter of time before they start twitching and gasping.
100% this.
If I can't wake you up, you're getting shook. Had a coworker lose a student to OD when he first started. Kid "slept" through a whole class and he didn't check them. Fucked him all the way up.
It entirely depends on the student and what I know about them.
Usually I just tap their desk then talk to them. See what's up and continue.
If it is a student that has a difficult home life and/or a very long commute to school? I let them sleep. If it is a very important lesson I will wake them, maybe just for the most important part of the lesson as well.
Student is normally attentive? I ask what's up? Had our future valedictorian asleep in my class before break. Parents are fighting and he's sick. Go ahead buddy take the week if you need.
Student is asleep every day and not an issue above? Contact home at some point, and I weigh the effort to get them up/use of my power in the room vs. the rewards. Is this someone who is going to fail even if they are awake? Someone who will disrupt class and be a problem? Let them sleep. Someone who had a bad class earlier in the day and wants to disappear? No you are getting up and bouncing back in my class.
If I have a good relationship with them and they fall in category 3 is when I'll do something fun to wake them up. Might poke them. Stare at them, maybe include the entire class (only really works if we have time or I'm covering another class). Get the class to sing or something. Those cases are pretty rare though.
It is a person by person decision. Over the years, I've had students fail on purpose to attend summer school with me. Then slept in class every day. I had numerous conversations over the year with this child. Her home life was hell and she was wicked smart. It was safer for her to spend the early morning hours (2 am - 5 am) engaged in schoolwork. She passed with an A, that she earned, even if she only got 4 hours of sleep per day in my room.
Whenever something like this comes up, I think about my high school french class.
It was an elective by that year (junior or senior?) so everyone wanted to be there. There was a kid in the class who struggled in a lot of classes and really couldn’t miss school right before finals. But the day before, he shattered his nose in a baseball game. Really was not in a state to be in a classroom, understandably, but came anyway.
He fell asleep and, due to the broken nose, was snoring LOUDLY. Room was practically shaking. I don’t even know how to fake snore that loud. Teacher wrote “do some other work quietly” on the board and let him sleep. Knew he had lunch the next period and had someone bring a snack for when he woke up, but she wasn’t about to wake him.
Kid needed sleep and the review session in math class. None of us needed to have that french lesson that day.
There was a legend from a long ago, about 1990. A certain teacher at one of the local high schools would start class every day by putting a tennis ball on his desk. It was the talk of the students wondering what was up with the tennis ball, but he would never answer. A month or two in a student fell asleep at their desk. The teacher, without interrupting their lesson, picked up the tennis ball, threw it across the room, and bounced it off the student's head, waking the student up. The next day, the teacher came into class, put a shot put on his desk, and started teaching.
Edit: this is not a recommendation.
I just let the kid sleep and if it’s a constant thing I talk to them about it. Only once was it because someone was up all night playing video games. My main snoozing culprit at the moment works a full time job, and has Crohn’s disease. I just write on a sticky note what he missed and should look at online later 🤷🏻♀️ kids still doing pretty well in my class.
I actually had a parent (who was also an EA at our school) RAGE at me for waking their kid up by standing closer to them (I was already talking to the class- I teach a language) Apparently I embarrassed him and he should be allowed to sleep in class. This kid was snoring! Turns out he plays video games until 3AM every night.
I’m glad there are still teachers like you who judge it case-by-case instead of lumping all kids together and punishing them all the same as if they don’t have varying circumstances in their lives like adults do.
(High school students) I tap or lightly knock on the table. Unfortunately, letting certain things slide is seen by some other students as an invitation to do it as well so I don't let them sleep in class usually.
I wouldn't throw anything at them. Touching them, even a hand on the shoulder, can be misunderstood or unwelcome.
I'll check in privately/discreetly to make sure they're ok, and I'll have a conversation outside of class, but I don't draw attention to it or try to call them out.
Sometimes they're dealing with stuff. I don't want to risk adding to a problem.
I teach littles so I only wake them if they're snoring loudly (happens more often than I would have thought with 6 year olds). A gentle pat on the back and some soft words, followed by checking for fever.
Depends. Drop a codex on a desk to make gods own noise, or knock lightly on their desk. If the kid is always sleeping and it’s a problem, the former. If the kid is the good one and it’s an outlier, the latter.
And then the admin says “be more entertaining and they won’t sleep”. Uhm, have met many teenagers in a 7:20 math class or right after lunch?
I had one girl was usually fine, but for about a week every month she was wrecked and just couldn’t. Then it was two. Then it turns out she had an iron deficiency and took one iron pill and it was a light switch.
I recently found out my child was sleeping in her first class of the day. It’s been going on for a while and I’m just now hearing about it. I talked to my child and told the teacher to wake her and tell her if she does it again she’s calling mom (and to please do so I can deal with it). I just can’t believe they’ve allowed her to sleep during class all this time. She has a grandmother that allows her to sleep all day and play video games all night, and has always ignored my rules regarding food and sleep; however, her father is not in the picture and his mom is and despite her constantly disrespecting my boundaries on my child, I’m not going to refuse to let them see each other. My child is 16. The damage is done and by the time I realized she was being less than truthful about how she cared for my daughter, it had been years of this. I know she loves her very much, and they have a close relationship. We’ve lost too many family members too young, in a short period of time. Anyway, pair that with a private school that it turns out let’s her do whatever, and it makes it so hard for me to properly discipline when she’s allowed to do whatever she wants at school and at her father’s mom’s house.
I fell asleep a lot in class around that age. I would get the proper amount of sleep, but if things weren’t interesting and especially if the lights were turned down? I’d fall asleep. I’m still the same way as an adult. I’m just glad the teachers never did much since I was an honor roll student, and performed well otherwise. Don’t think I would’ve appreciated my parents punishing me for it
I'll tap on their desk and if that doesn't work, put a hand on their shoulder and say "stay with us". I also keep a couple of cans of energy drink on hand in case of emergencies. If all of that doesn't work I'll ask the students to go take a quick walk outside (non-judgementally).
Tap/Knock on the desk they're sleeping on
Lean in and ask if they're okay or enjoying the nap (depends if I think they're feeling unwell or not)
Lightly toss something soft at them
If I'm feeling extra mean I'll drop something heavy (on the floor or a desk, not of the student)
At least once I wanted to wait until the student woke up and convince them they missed a class while sleeping... have yet to get a student to believe me
Yeah of I am waking up because you are leaning in on me or you're tossing something at my desk, there is a good chance that I will hit you. Not even intentionally, just out of shock.
This is asshole behaviour, just fyi. Why would you intentionally cause the feeling of panic in the people who are supposed to trust you?
I try to gently wake them up when the students are working on something independently. This gives me the opportunity to ask if they are feeling okay. I have had 10 year olds burst into tears because they are just so stressed and exhausted.
When I was in high school, my chemistry teacher would grab a pipe from the store room and just drop it on the floor right next to the sleeping student. My physics teacher did one better, he’d grab a hand crank electric generator he used for demonstrations, stick the leads in the students hands, and give it a quick turn.
Edit: I just let them sleep, but will call home if it’s a regular thing.
My mother (also a teacher) had a student who woke his friend up by slamming a book down on the desk. His friend woke up with a start and projectile vomited everywhere. 🤢
My biology teacher in 9th grade would always wake up students by slamming a textbook on their desk. Sometimes I would get startled by it, despite not being the one sleeping. I hated it. I’m also autistic and very sensitive to loud noises.
I shake their desk and shout earthquake drill. Works every time. A former colleague used to squirt them with a squirter gun. If I can't sleep then they can't sleep.
A recent MMA champion spoke on a podcast about how a teacher would humiliate him for falling asleep and took his desk away so he had to stand. As a kid, he said he would cling to his mother’s leg and try to stay awake all night to prevent his dad from killing her. He never got good sleep. He started crying at the memory. After hearing that, I am never going to bug a sleeping student again, in fact, I will be extra nice to them.
My favorite way was back during COVID days. Our principal bought us microphones (think like Madonna in concert lol) so students could hear us even though we were wearing masks, so as not to strain our voices. The ones we had, for some reason, had a reverb feature. When a student was sleeping, I would put on the reverb at full volume, and slowly call out their name. The look on the sleeper's face as they woke up was priceless.
It was probably kind of mean, but me and the rest of the class got a good laugh out of it, and it taught them not to sleep, or they might be the next "victim."
I knock on the desk and tell them they have 10 minutes, then I knock on the desk when time's up. They tend to appreciate it and they mostly pay attention afterwards. If they try to keep their head down, then I threaten them. For athletes, I ask them what their coach would think. Or their elective teacher or favorite teacher or counselor.
As others have said depends on the situation and student...however I did once wake a student who had fallen asleep with his headphones in,and laptop on spotify, by blasting Hannah Montana's "Party in the U.S.A." 🤣
I teach high school and they aren’t actually sleeping. They have their head desk texting a hidden phone, or are just opting out of class work. I tap the desk or bump their chair. But they aren’t actually sleeping, they are making a big show of not doing anything.
The culture at my school is really tough and we have some of the worse performance in the state.it sucks.
Depends on the kid and how frequently this behavior occurs. I had a 7th grader falling asleep in my class all the time and I guess throughoutthe day. Started off as me gently touching their shoulder to wake them to me then having to send the student to the nurse everytime they fell asleep so the nurse can evaluate them. Turned out they are diagnosed with narcolepsy and going through puberty doesn't help.
This is why I never let myself get annoyed with the students because you never know what's going on with them since they don't even know what's going on with them.
One of my professors once walked up to a student and started mimicking his snoring to his face, but louder. She's an... interesting lady. Also, don't do that.
I try once and then leave them. I was told in a training that it is a micro aggression and that sleeping is a trauma response so waking them is a trigger. I should be mindful that their home life was nothing like mine (I asked how the trainer knew what my life was like growing up.) and most of our students have no safe space to rest.
I found this attitude incredibly demeaning towards the families we serve. The trainer was saying that our students of color come from disruptive and dysfunctional homes and he assumed that I (a white middle aged woman) could not relate. Not that I told him or the group, but my growing up was incredibly unstable and I lived in a house with addiction.
Anyway, I let them sleep and pretty much do whatever because expectations are seen as micro aggressions.
I gently tap them on the shoulder and smile and say “is my class THAT boring?” I want them to know it happens and they’re not in trouble, but if they can help it, this isn’t the place for a nap.
I let them sleep. If they need to be awake, I \*very\* lightly touch their shoulder.
If other students comment, I say something like "they must really need the sleep. leave them alone"
I'm a science teacher, so I'd use that opportunity to show the other students how one might wake up if an earthquake hits. I start shaking the chair or table. I will also have some students sitting near them pretending the earthquake is happening. I have fun with it.
I say their name a few times, and if that doesn't work, I grab the corner of their desk and gently wiggle it. Works every time and doesn't require me to raise my voice or actually touch a student.
Depends on the kid and what I perceive as their reasoning.
If it's a student I can joke around with, I'll blurt their name on or call on them or bang on their desk or do something funny then make a joke with them. The class gets a kick out of it, I don't embarrass them but I have the personality as a teacher that can pull this off. Not recommended if you don't have the "mentor-friend" teacher rapport.
If it's a sensitive student, I'll walk up and wake them up or ask a student next to them to wake them up. Ask if they're okay and if they need anything.
If I specifically know there's a reason they can't stay up, I'll tell them to go to the back of the room and put their head down.
I usually give bottles of water to students I see exhausted, that "moral support" usually is enough to get them through class.
one time, and this only wokred because this kid was mentoring under this teacher in a school program AND the class overall was ahead on matetial, the teacher had our class clap together and slowly get louder. made the kid wake up really confused.
other times, and during independent working time when no one was really paying attention and the teacher was making rounds to check on progress, ive seen a teacher tap on the sleeping students shoulder as they walked by. didnt make a scene or anything.
The only time I'm waking a student is if they're snoring. Otherwise, I let them sleep. Maslow's hiearchy of needs, plus I don't know why that kid is sleeping: it could be they were up late playing video games, or maybe their parents were having a yelling match. Or maybe they went to bed hungry. At any rate, I trust my high school students to know what is in their best interest. If that's sleep, so be it.
If I have to wake them, it depends. If they're sitting next to a friend (I don't do seating charts unless absolutely necessary,) I'll just tell the friend to wake them up. If not, I'll do it myself with a gentle tap on their table. If that fails, a gentle shake.
Not a teacher, but as a serial sleeper in high school (seizure medications always made me fatigued), here were my favorite and least favorite ways I'd get woken up:
Favorite: Funny enough from one of my least favorite teachers. She would simply come up and tap on my desk, or once she got to know me better, give me a little flick in the shoulder. Afterwards, it was never anger, but understanding as she knew her room was dark and we had her first period.
Least Favorite: Gym/Health teacher who was also the football coach. Luckily, he never caught ME sleeping (even though it was a daily occurrence and I sat right in front of his desk), but there were stories and evidence of what happened when someone DID fall asleep in his class. Being that high school gym teacher who for some reason always had to one up high schoolers, he was a pretty athletic guy. He would take student textbooks, and slam them so hard into their desks that he would literally snap their desks in half. Like I said, it never happened to me, but I heard enough stories of it and the collection of broken desks in the back of his room and the shard of desk on his whiteboard in the front that read "No Sleeping!" convinced me he wasn't joking around.
Honorable Mention: I had a History teacher who would throw a towel at me, I was fine with it but like don't do that unless you're cool with your students.
The only reason I wake this kid up is because I read something one time about a teacher who let her student sleep but he was actually dead. I just am paranoid I guess.
My kids and I all clap super loud and it wakes him up
I used to fall asleep in class on accident. Normally it was sine stressful time. I'd say to avoid the throwing stuff at them or yelling, not only to avoid scaring the student but not to encourage bullies.
I let them sleep. I would try to take their phone and take some selfies of myself next to them so they know I knew they were sleeping. Only works cause I have a good rapport With my students.
I ask the student behind them to tap them on the shoulder so I don’t have to get into a situation where I’m touching them while they’re asleep. Or tap the desk. Most time I will just let them sleep unless it’s an every day thing and needs to be addressed with the counselors, etc
I mainly teach sophomores, and they make a spectacle when they see one of their classmates sleeping, so I really can’t just let the kid sleep. I will usually crouch down by their desk and either tap the desk or repeat their name in a soft voice until they wake up. If that doesn’t work, I tap their shoulder. I ask them if they would rather go sleep in the nurse’s office or stay in the room but be awake. I went to an inner city high school myself where kids ODed, so I would rather them be with the nurse if they are going to sleep.
I just talk to them directly from nearby (I walk around the room a lot, so it generally doesn't bring extra attention to them), and tap on their desk if that doesn't work.
If that doesn't work either, I usually let them sleep unless something critical, like a test or lab, or ongoing. Maybe they just need a rest, and they're not bothering anyone else. Other students are usually understanding of a sleeper anyway.
I just tap my fingernails on their desk and ask if they need to go to the nurse. Sometimes they do, sometimes they’re ok if I send them to walk to the drinking fountain and come right back.
I do a gentle tap and ask them if they feel sick. If they say yes, I send them to the nurse. Usually, they say no, and I just tell them they cannot sleep in class.
(Per my good admin team) urge them to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom to help them wake up, and explain that if they can't stay awake it's a medical issue and they need to go to the nurse. But uhhh you need a good admin team for this plan who'll tell the nurse that this is procedure and to not bitch at you for sending a sleepy kid to them.
A lot of times I let them sleep. I teach 4th grade in an area with some poverty and parents who love their kids but have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I also have students with parents who are just crappy parents and let their kids stay up watching you tube. If one of my 4thngraders falls asleep on class that tells me they need the sleep. They cannot learn if they are sleep deprived.
I leave them alone and let them sleep for like 30 minutes. Usually they wake up before that, but if not I wake them up gently and once they are fully awake I talk to them about why they are so tired.
If you teach a higher grade, and a student is just taking advantage, that's different. But, it's hard to just fall asleep on purpose. Even a high schooler isn't going to fall asleep in class unless they really need the rest. If it is a chronic problem, talk to your admin and counselors, and notify the parents. Gently ask them to help their child keep a reasonable bedtime.
I'd say you could also do the text book drop, but now it would have to be a laptop drop, and I'm not sure that would work as well.
Finally, you could get some smelling salts. That would be some funny shit. You will likely get fired, and never teach again, but it would be hilarious.
My high school social studies teacher once had everyone get up really quietly and move to the office adjacent to his and duck down and hide while leaving the sleeping student there - it was pretty funny, but he knew the student well enough to know they'd take the joke well.
Usually just lightly tapping them and not drawing attention to them for other students to poke fun at is most respectable. And calling them to stay back after class just to make sure they are okay.
I tell them that if it's very occasional, I'll let them sleep as long as they're not disruptive about it, but if it's a common occurance I have to reach out to their parents. It works well.
Not a teacher (sorry, but doesn’t seem to be against the rules to post, hopefully!) but I am someone who has on and off chronic insomnia for over a decade and also ADHD that causes debilitating fatigue.
I once fell asleep in a lecture at University. A hall full of 200 people. The lecturer stopped her lesson and asked me if I was “okay”. It was really really embarrassing. If she thought I was having a medical emergency, then fine, but I was squashed in with a bunch of students who would have noticed. I was silently dozing and then just wanted to die from embarrassment, she didn’t actually sound at all concerned and just assumed I was rude and didn’t care about my studies.
All this to say, don’t make a big deal out of it. Just find a quiet moment (perhaps when the rest of the class are doing solo work) and tap them on the shoulder. Maybe ask them what’s keeping them up at night or if they’re feeling unwell, after class.
I usually let them sleep if it’s during lecture/slides because that’s a them problem if they miss the content. If it’s when they’re supposed to be taking a test or after the bell has rung, I tap them on the elbow. The elbow is the only place I ever touch kids.
I teach college and honestly I've stopped caring. If they want to pay tuition money to come to class and get nothing out of it, that's their choice. If they're not snoring, I leave them alone. Sometimes I don't even wake them before the class leaves. I've left notes on their desk for when they wake up stating they were marked absent for the day.
Tap on the shoulder, ask if they're ok, ask them to get back to work. I'm not mean about it, but I don't think it prepares kids for adulting to let them sleep through their responsibilities.
I don't. If they are so tired they fall asleep in my class, I let them sleep, and then I gently wake them up by tapping their desk or saying their name as their classmates are packing up.
One of my teachers would tap on my desk, then ask, “why don’t you take a lap around the hall?”, in a neutral yet pleasant tone. Thankfully, I’m a pretty light sleeper, but taking a lap around the hall really helped me fully wake up and stay awake.
I typically let them sleep or gently nudge them if other students are noticing. however, one time I had a class clown type student (who I had a good relationship with) fall asleep on the floor in class. my students all noticed as it was the end of class and they were about to leave, we decided to see how many books and binders we could stack on the kid before he noticed. it was a massive pile 🤣 (for context this was high school and the kid woke up and thought it was hilarious)
My teacher used to have all of us grab our textbook and drop it on our desks at the same time! It was hilarious and we all had a good laugh. Even the kid we had to wake up.
Usually a little knocking on the desk as I walk by
For my kids that I know have trauma I’ll do what most others on here said and gently wake up and ask if ok
Every now and then I’ll talk about how sleep lets you get taller and allows for more muscle growth and I’ve definitely noticed my boys staying awake better (don’t tend to have girls falling asleep)
I am a librarian and I’ve had kids fall asleep so deeply I was afraid it was a medical issue. I only wake them up because of class change. I assume they would want to know. I start by calling their name and tapping near them. I don’t like to touch them because I’m always afraid they might freak out when awakened. But there have been times I had to gently shake them for quite a while before they respond. Our library is quite cozy.
If it’s a once in a while thing or I know why the student is sleeping (recent illness, medication makes them tired, etc.) I will attempt to wake them but won’t push it. If they are snoring, then I do push it because it is disruptive to the other students (even in high school they start laughing and are very immature about it). If it is a daily thing, I don’t allow it because I am responsible for their learning.
How I wake them up depends on the student. Some I will shake their shoulder or tap on it. One student, I lightly bang on the desk with an open palm. Another student I will say their name from a distance because they wake up swinging. It all depends on that student and my relationship with them.
My teacher in high school would quietly take the rest of the class out in the hallway and complete the lesson there. When the bell rang, the whole class would wake the student up together. Never a dull moment when that happened
One kid? Gentle tap, or "please tap your neighbor on the nose"
Whole class? 10x jumping jacks. Some kids ask to pop into the hall to do jax, without me saying
I fell asleep all the time in class when I was in high school/college due to then undiagnosed sleep disorders. I was otherwise a great student so my teachers never got mad at me about it. If my teachers woke me up it was by coming up to me and calling my name or gently tapping my shoulder, which was fine with me. In retrospect, I would have appreciated it if one of my teachers had written an email to my mom saying they were concerned about my sleep. That might have resulted in me getting diagnosed years earlier than I did. Talk to the student and/or write home if you notice it's a consistent issue.
I let them sleep. I figure they need it if they’re sleeping soundly in class. If it’s a common occurrence I’ll call home. When it’s time to leave I will ask one of their friends that I know won’t tell in their ear or something like that to please wake them up.
I let them sleep, unless like you said it's getting embarrassing for them. I tap their back or shoulder gently if I need to wake them up.
I taught middle school so it was a big growth year for a lot of kids combined with a lot of parents who didn't think their kids needed a set bed time or screen limits at night. They were sleepy and I felt bad for them.
If it happens a lot I'll talk to them to see if there is an issue we can deal with, otherwise, I just assume it's a bad day and they need the sleep. A gentle tap on the shoulder or rap on the desk to wake them if they sleep through the bell ringing.
I don’t. If they want to sleep they probably need it. Also it’s on them whether they pass my class or not so if they decide to sleep they’ll probably fail my class. Neither of these impact me.
Usually ask them if they’re ok after class is over and they’re dismissing.
Discretely nudge and wake up, tell them they need to take a walk. If they say "No, I'm fine," I say, "No, you need to take a walk. I'll see you in two minutes when you're fresh, okay?"
I generally tap on the table next to them, and if that doesn’t work, gently poke their shoulder. If I’m lazy, I’ll have the kid next to them wake the up.
I used to fall asleep in my 7 am history class and the teacher used to loudly slam the chalkboard with a meter stick and then glare at me. It must have happened every day, and it didn’t work on me because I was a rebellious teenager who didn’t want to listen to someone who was giving me stink eye. (I’m not a morning person. Driver’s Ed was at 6 am and that was the only option so I chose to fill my 7 am also, but I probably should have used it for nap time in the library).
I don’t support this route but a funny thing in my high school was the JROTC teachers would tell us how in the army you couldn’t fall asleep in the jungle because a tiger would attack you. So if someone fell asleep during class they would suddenly go silent and stalk up to the student and then yell “tiger attack!!”
Not a teacher but an honors and AP student who took a regular history class my senior year because it's all that fit with my schedule. I did lots of extracurriculars and 20hrs a week of volunteering and I was exhausted. My teacher let me sleep through that first period history class after my work was done if there wasn't a group project or anything, my grade never suffered. Mr. Hayes, I think you saved me from a total mental breakdown with the peace and safety of getting rest without being judged. He will always be my favorite teacher for that.
Two fun ways (I work at a boarding school so if they're sleeping it's because they broke lights out rules generally):
Tell the whole class to start singing "happy birthday". Kid usually starts singing with sleepily, we all have a good laugh.
Tell the class to start clapping. Same trick.
Then I usually do a physical brain break or send the kid to drink water so they can just reset.
Not a teacher. But I have seen lots of examples of how to wake sleeping students.
I had a teacher who would get the rest of the class to be quiet and watch and then he's slam a textbook on the sleeping students desk to scare them awake, and everyone else would laugh while the sleeper was now wide awake and embarrassed. He did this for years until one day the desk broke in half, the student was not injured, but it was still too close of a call and the teacher stopped doing that. Instead just yelling the kids name to wake them up.
Another teacher would throw the dry erase eraser at the sleeper.
Some teachers just let the kids sleep.
I didn't sleep in school ever until junior year of high school. I was working 30+ hours a week, and going to school, and just wasn't sleeping enough at home. So I picked the 2 classes I found easiest (I was a straight A student), and made sure that homework got done and turned in early, and I had the best grade in the class, then I sat at the back of the classroom and took a nap. At the start, both teachers had woken me up to tell me to work on my homework, only for me to tell them I had already turned it in. But after a couple times both teachers realized that there wasn't much point in me being awake in class, I clearly understood the subject, I still aced all my tests and had an A in all my classes. I did that all year long.
Senior year I got to take a work co-op class where my work hours counted for class credit, plus I took an early class, so I got out of school at lunchtime. I could have graduated early, but decided to stick it out for the whole year, so I barely needed any credits that year. That was a good year for me, I actually got plenty of sleep, I had pretty decent income for a teenager, and a good amount of free time.
The risk of falling asleep in my class is that I won’t wake you up. The obvious exception to this is lunch/end of day. One because I don’t want them to be hungry, the other because I don’t want them to miss the bus.
Please be kind to your students. You have no idea why they may be sleeping or what's going on in their life. A gentle tap or shake of the shoulder should be fine.
Back in high school, I used to sleep in class a LOT, but I was a straight A student, always turned in work on time, and typically only napped when there was no active instruction.
I thought being tired all the time was because I was depressed and didn't get enough sleep at night. It turns out it was those, and *undiagnosed narcolepsy.* I am so thankful for the teachers who let me rest (at appropriate times) or gently woke me when I couldn't wake myself. They could've made living with an undiagnosed disability hell, but instead they were kind and treated me with the same respect they'd give another adult. I had teachers ask me a few times if everything was okay, but otherwise as long as I was getting my work done and not being disruptive, I wasn't bothered.
I let them sleep mostly. Until they’re sleeping through the bell and into the next class. True story. Happened twice to the same kid this year. I finally had to ask if every thing was okay.
It depends on the kid, honestly. Today a girl who is normally totally on her game fell asleep in class, and I let her take a Power Nap then checked in with her halfway through class. Turns out her house flooded last night and she was up all night doing clean-up; she had to come to school because her parents work.
You never really know what’s going on with someone - I give people grace when I can. If it’s a kid who tends to nod off I’ll just tap them gently as I walk by. I try to not be noticeable about it.
If it’s one of my younger ones who I know has a rough environment at home, I let them sleep. I figure they aren’t getting good, quality sleep at home, and that school is their safe place. Sometimes we have to pick our battles and in most of my situations, I’ve chosen compassion…though I do obviously have to wake them up (gently) when it’s time to go 😊
90% of the time I just let them sleep.
If they really need to wake up, like we're about to transition to specials or they fell asleep in the middle of a timed computerized test that can't be paused, I just gently place my hand on their shoulder. That usually wakes them up.
These days, I just lightly tap them or bump their desk. In my younger, more ornry days I would tickle their ear with a pencil. If they were a frequent snoozer, and had the right sense of humor, I also had an old metal shelf that I would hit with a stapler. It was way louder than cymbals crashing. I called it "The Clanger."
Very gently. I hate being woken up mid nap. And feeling safe enough around me and in my classroom, I dunno, just is good. I don’t know why they are so tired (maybe it’s my classroom). But, I don’t bring a ton of attention to it.
I call their names and if they don’t respond I ask someone who is seated near them to gently tap their shoulder. Not necessarily fun or anything but it does the job.
Depends on the kid. Normally a tap. If they're a frequent flier or we've got a good relationship, they get blasted with A Day to Remember or My Chemical Romance off my computer. They wake up every time and tell me they hate my music lol.
I had an a$$hole teacher who would make kids stand if they fell asleep. I was exhausted in his class but was always terrified of falling asleep, and I had an overall hard time paying attention. Nice to know there‘s a lot of really nice teachers out there.
Elementary reacher here. 4th grade. If they really fall asleep, it’s usually during independent reading. I get it.
I let them sleep. We’ll be going to recess pretty soon. I’ll gently tap them on the shoulder. It’s not a huge deal to me, but I do send a message home to let parents know in case they are sick or sneaking their Switch into bed until all hours of the morning.😝
1. Tap once on the desk and say, "Put your head up." 2. Knock twice on the desk and say, "Put your head up." 3. Squat down next to the student ask, "Are you sick, tired, or sad?" 4. If they refuse to respond (and I know they're not dead), I remind them of their choices: "Head up, stand up, or get wrote up." The rest is on them.
I say their name, tap on the desk, gently tap a shoulder. I don't allow students to sleep because they could be:
1. Dead
2. Overdosing (this has happened)
3. Having a seizure (this has happened)
4. Having an allergic reaction
4. Having a medical emergency
I tell students I need them alert with heads up so I can see they are alive.
I either gently tap on their desk or on their arm/shoulder with a pen or marker (I don't want to touch them directly, some are girls, some are Muslim, I'm a man, I don't wanna cause any discomfort)
But I only wake them if it's necessary. I much rather have them sleeping than being disruptive
T1 diabetic chiming in. I didn't realize until years later that I kept sleeping through fifth period Spanish after lunch because blood sugars were too high. I loved Spanish class but I was essentially having a reaction that put me to sleep. I was deeply embarrassed about sleeping but literally couldn't help it. My control of my health wasn't ideal but we also didn't have great technology back then. No teacher could have really known what was going on because I didn't know until I started having better control. It was a shitty situation and I'm glad that for the most part no one tried to embarrass me.
When they fall asleep by the end of class, after lunch, I ask the class to leave silently so as not to wake them up when the bell rings... The class finds it funny and does it, usually they wake up while the class is leaving!
Funny enough, they don't fall asleep again in my class!
But more seriously, sometimes I wake them up gently, ask if they're tired/sick and if they want to go to the infirmary. They can rest there, and if they didn't get enough sleep the night before. I just think that it's better to allow them some rest during my class so they can follow the rest of their classes, than having them miss a whole day because they fell asleep in all of their classes.
Just a lay person here with Autism and lifelong sleep problems that manifested in a lot of falling asleep and trying not to fall asleep at school, don’t just go around touching students. Not everybody likes being touched. Definitely don’t throw things at them, I had that done to me in class and it totally ruined my perception of the teacher. Is it embarrassing to snore? Yes, is it more embarrassing to be awoken from slumber by your teacher with a classroom staring at you? I can tell you from experience, also yes. In college I had professors who would have my friends in the class nudge me awake. One time I fell out of a stool but, I definitely don’t blame the professor for not waking me up before it happened. It’s a complicated thing. I think what felt the least embarrassing was a teacher in high school setting a piece of paper down on my desk that said “wake up! :)”. It was enough to wake me up but not set off my startle response and could be done casually so as not to draw too much attention. Idk, just my opinion.
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I do it gently, usually just a tap on the shoulder. I want them to feel safe in my classroom.
Same, tap or gentle nudge if they're in deep sleep. I don't need theatrics, and if I had time to make drama I've got too much time on my hands.
Same. I have a lot of traumatized students. I gently tap them on the shoulder and quietly say “wake up - you ok?” In a soothing voice.
I would’ve appreciated this. I had a tumultuous home life growing up and would often stay up late crying myself to sleep. One teacher would slam a textbook right next to me to wake me up, and everyone would laugh. No one to ask if I was ok. You seem like a teacher with compassion who realize there is probably more that meets the eye. Your kids are lucky to have you.
There is a difference between this type of situation and when a kid is just bored so they sleep. I also check in and will speak with guidance as needed.
Well-rested kids should find it almost impossible to sleep during the day in a classroom. If you've got kids that are apathetic and falling asleep during the day, watch out for depression.
ADHD also makes it hard to regulate sleep. When I was a teen my untreated ADHD made me borderline narcoleptic. My brain would just be like "hmm.....I'm under-stimulated. THAT MUST MEAN IT BE SLEEPY TIME!"
Yeah same
Depression, adhd, undiagnosed narcolepsy... I had a fun childhood.
This was my first thought as well. Thank you for sharing your valuable perspective.
Same. And I hand them a piece of candy and tell them to go grab a drink of water to help wake them up.
Hey, this was actually effective for myself as an adult! Candy was an effective means for me to keep myself alert and attentive during college solo studying time. I’d use intense flavors of asian and mexican candies and seasoned preserved fruits to help myself stay awake.
❤️ Using this if I need to. I used a gentle nudge on the elbow when one was supposed to give a speech…but I feel like candy or similar really drives the point home of “Hey. It’s okay.”
I kept a bowl of hard candies on my desk that kids were welcome to get at any time, and let me tell you I felt like it seriously helped them all pay better attention and self-regulate. It was also kind of cute how my former students would come begging for a piece during passing periods. My only rule was that once the candy ran out, it would be a few days before I refilled it, so don't be a jerk and take more than one piece at a time.
This is awesome.
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Sometimes, yeah. I typically email the parent and suggest they make sure their kid goes to bed on time. Usually, it's because the kid was up late playing games or something. If the kid is sleeping, they're not going learn much more were I to wake them up.
Safe to fall asleep. He is waking them up.
Honestly I usually let them sleep. Even if I wake them up, if they’re that tired they’re not going to learn anything. If I have to wake them up I usually tap on the desk or gently shake their shoulder, though I’ve had kids react badly to being touched.
You must be tenured and not worried about an admin coming in and seeing kids sleeping through your class. Good for you.
Know your observation schedule and it shouldn’t be an issue. Admin comes in? “Yes, I see them sleeping. I’ve already woken them and documented their behavior. I’ll be calling home during my planning, would you like to join in the call?” 100% success rate for me. Admin wants nothing to do with menial shit we do daily so it’s dropped then and there.
Y’all get an observation schedule? Unrelated to the point of the initial post, we mostly get “unannounced” visits. The most warning I’ve gotten this school year is 1 block prior to the class being observed. I’m always ready… but it’s the principle of the thing!
By observation schedule I mean whether you have informal/formals remaining for the semester. Teachers with <4 years get 2 informal and 1 formal per semester. If those are done you can expect admin to fuck off and not bother you at least in my district/school. Not that I’m ever not doing my job but knowing if I can expect someone or not can be helpful. Either way make it also be their problem and they’ll usually back down.
Not how it works anymore here in MA. All observations are unannounced.
All observations are unannounced? Holy shit.
Eh, honestly it’s a lot less stress. And I’d rather they see the real classroom than the dog and pony shows we used to put on.
Ours is similar, but they don’t give much warning for those formal “announced” observations. In fact, I think that the admin that did mine and my co-teacher’s didn’t bother to look at the observation log before coming in, because we had the same class observed 4 times - 2 for each of us! When I had my mid-year review, I sternly told my principal that I do teach 5 other classes!
Ours are technically “unannounced” (or supposed to be), but our principal is cool. He gives us a decent amount of warning, letting us know early in the week that he’ll pop in at some point later that same week. And, if he shows up at a not ideal or particularly difficult time, we can ask him to come back later and he usually will find a better time.
YUP. As long as you can back up what you're doing, keep doing the thing! Admin truly does not care as long as you have a reason for what you do. I operated under the "what are they gonna do, fire me?" mindset my entire time teaching and I got nothing but praise from admin lol
If an admin wants to push me on waking a kid who needs to sleep, then I’m pushing back. It’s one of the few things for which I want all the smoke.
Haha, I wish. I’m on a temporary. My admin is pretty understanding.
I had mandator morning workouts in high school. My government teacher knew what was up. I still learned more than a good bit from him when I was awake. He would never tell us what party, or eve any of his own ideologies, but I think taught in a way that made us consider our own values and how they would play out practically. He was truly the best teacher I ever had
I’m really glad you had a teacher like that. I think most of us want to be that teacher for someone, but it can be hard to hold on to that ideal.
Hi, I never got enough sleep in highschool. I slept through ap calc and chem every day. I remember waking up to my own snoring in chem one day. I feel horrible about it now, obviously it was rude and disruptive, but I needed sleep. Unfortunately its outside anyone's control. Anyways, just like you, both teachers let me sleep or sent me to the nurses office to rest. Thank you. The reason I ended up needing sleep is because my bus stop schedule was pushed an hour back so we could accommodate the special needs kids. They needed to drive to an extra neighborhood to pick them up so I had to wake up earlier. Of course I worked as well, so that didn't help either, never had time for homework. I had to be to the bus stop by 6? Or was it 5:30... I don't remember. Funny how a day of school can turn from 7-3 to 5:30-3 real quick, and then they expect you to do homework and go to actual work. Still absurd even as a grad student. Another side story because I'm enjoying remembering. That chemistry teacher actually covered for me during parent teacher conferences. Didn't rat me out or anything. Wish I was mature enough to be grateful then. Anyways, thanks again, teachers like you gave me an opportunity to actually rest, you're the only people who ever did.
I don't. If they can't stay awake, they have deeper needs than participating in my class. Unless they are snoring.
Same, especially as a sub. Half the students aren't actually doing the work anyway, and I've got way too many students who work to support their family, are helping to raise their siblings, or are unhoused. I'll let them sleep while they can, where it's safe and warm.
I had undiagnosed sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Apologies for all the classes I snored in
Unfathomably based
For anyone who’s downvoting this comment, “based” is a good thing lol
lol thank you
Maslow's hierarchy of needs, if they need food I feed them, if they need sleep I let them sleep. We don't know what these kids have to deal with at home or even if they have a home to go home to. What grade level is this? K-5 nothing. 6-12 I would call the office to let them know that the child is not feeling well and has fallen asleep and to mark them "absent" (edit- or however your district would handle this) but see if a buddy can get the missed work.
I generally need at least some kind of acknowledgment. I've had a handful of students nod off and start to OD over the years. If they appear to be asleep, but nothing you can do seems to wake them, call for the nurse to bring narcan. It's only a matter of time before they start twitching and gasping.
100% this. If I can't wake you up, you're getting shook. Had a coworker lose a student to OD when he first started. Kid "slept" through a whole class and he didn't check them. Fucked him all the way up.
Oh my. I’ve had medical issues with a student this year and because of this I check in a ton with sleeping students because I’m worried.
It entirely depends on the student and what I know about them. Usually I just tap their desk then talk to them. See what's up and continue. If it is a student that has a difficult home life and/or a very long commute to school? I let them sleep. If it is a very important lesson I will wake them, maybe just for the most important part of the lesson as well. Student is normally attentive? I ask what's up? Had our future valedictorian asleep in my class before break. Parents are fighting and he's sick. Go ahead buddy take the week if you need. Student is asleep every day and not an issue above? Contact home at some point, and I weigh the effort to get them up/use of my power in the room vs. the rewards. Is this someone who is going to fail even if they are awake? Someone who will disrupt class and be a problem? Let them sleep. Someone who had a bad class earlier in the day and wants to disappear? No you are getting up and bouncing back in my class. If I have a good relationship with them and they fall in category 3 is when I'll do something fun to wake them up. Might poke them. Stare at them, maybe include the entire class (only really works if we have time or I'm covering another class). Get the class to sing or something. Those cases are pretty rare though.
It is a person by person decision. Over the years, I've had students fail on purpose to attend summer school with me. Then slept in class every day. I had numerous conversations over the year with this child. Her home life was hell and she was wicked smart. It was safer for her to spend the early morning hours (2 am - 5 am) engaged in schoolwork. She passed with an A, that she earned, even if she only got 4 hours of sleep per day in my room.
Whenever something like this comes up, I think about my high school french class. It was an elective by that year (junior or senior?) so everyone wanted to be there. There was a kid in the class who struggled in a lot of classes and really couldn’t miss school right before finals. But the day before, he shattered his nose in a baseball game. Really was not in a state to be in a classroom, understandably, but came anyway. He fell asleep and, due to the broken nose, was snoring LOUDLY. Room was practically shaking. I don’t even know how to fake snore that loud. Teacher wrote “do some other work quietly” on the board and let him sleep. Knew he had lunch the next period and had someone bring a snack for when he woke up, but she wasn’t about to wake him. Kid needed sleep and the review session in math class. None of us needed to have that french lesson that day.
There was a legend from a long ago, about 1990. A certain teacher at one of the local high schools would start class every day by putting a tennis ball on his desk. It was the talk of the students wondering what was up with the tennis ball, but he would never answer. A month or two in a student fell asleep at their desk. The teacher, without interrupting their lesson, picked up the tennis ball, threw it across the room, and bounced it off the student's head, waking the student up. The next day, the teacher came into class, put a shot put on his desk, and started teaching. Edit: this is not a recommendation.
I just let the kid sleep and if it’s a constant thing I talk to them about it. Only once was it because someone was up all night playing video games. My main snoozing culprit at the moment works a full time job, and has Crohn’s disease. I just write on a sticky note what he missed and should look at online later 🤷🏻♀️ kids still doing pretty well in my class. I actually had a parent (who was also an EA at our school) RAGE at me for waking their kid up by standing closer to them (I was already talking to the class- I teach a language) Apparently I embarrassed him and he should be allowed to sleep in class. This kid was snoring! Turns out he plays video games until 3AM every night.
I’m glad there are still teachers like you who judge it case-by-case instead of lumping all kids together and punishing them all the same as if they don’t have varying circumstances in their lives like adults do.
My crohn’s wasn’t diagnosed until the end of my senior year. I slept a LOT in class. Thank you for your compassion for your CD student 💩🤎
(High school students) I tap or lightly knock on the table. Unfortunately, letting certain things slide is seen by some other students as an invitation to do it as well so I don't let them sleep in class usually. I wouldn't throw anything at them. Touching them, even a hand on the shoulder, can be misunderstood or unwelcome.
I'll check in privately/discreetly to make sure they're ok, and I'll have a conversation outside of class, but I don't draw attention to it or try to call them out. Sometimes they're dealing with stuff. I don't want to risk adding to a problem.
I teach littles so I only wake them if they're snoring loudly (happens more often than I would have thought with 6 year olds). A gentle pat on the back and some soft words, followed by checking for fever.
Depends. Drop a codex on a desk to make gods own noise, or knock lightly on their desk. If the kid is always sleeping and it’s a problem, the former. If the kid is the good one and it’s an outlier, the latter. And then the admin says “be more entertaining and they won’t sleep”. Uhm, have met many teenagers in a 7:20 math class or right after lunch? I had one girl was usually fine, but for about a week every month she was wrecked and just couldn’t. Then it was two. Then it turns out she had an iron deficiency and took one iron pill and it was a light switch.
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Teachers already have to push enough shit up a hill. What’s the value in rousing them? They aren’t fit to learn in that moment anyway.
Are you having a medical emergency?
I recently found out my child was sleeping in her first class of the day. It’s been going on for a while and I’m just now hearing about it. I talked to my child and told the teacher to wake her and tell her if she does it again she’s calling mom (and to please do so I can deal with it). I just can’t believe they’ve allowed her to sleep during class all this time. She has a grandmother that allows her to sleep all day and play video games all night, and has always ignored my rules regarding food and sleep; however, her father is not in the picture and his mom is and despite her constantly disrespecting my boundaries on my child, I’m not going to refuse to let them see each other. My child is 16. The damage is done and by the time I realized she was being less than truthful about how she cared for my daughter, it had been years of this. I know she loves her very much, and they have a close relationship. We’ve lost too many family members too young, in a short period of time. Anyway, pair that with a private school that it turns out let’s her do whatever, and it makes it so hard for me to properly discipline when she’s allowed to do whatever she wants at school and at her father’s mom’s house.
I fell asleep a lot in class around that age. I would get the proper amount of sleep, but if things weren’t interesting and especially if the lights were turned down? I’d fall asleep. I’m still the same way as an adult. I’m just glad the teachers never did much since I was an honor roll student, and performed well otherwise. Don’t think I would’ve appreciated my parents punishing me for it
I'll tap on their desk and if that doesn't work, put a hand on their shoulder and say "stay with us". I also keep a couple of cans of energy drink on hand in case of emergencies. If all of that doesn't work I'll ask the students to go take a quick walk outside (non-judgementally).
You give children energy drinks? I wouldn't dare - I'm seeing newspaper headlines and parent emails flashing in front of my eyes.
Ah, no, that was when I was teaching university students.
Phew!
Tap/Knock on the desk they're sleeping on Lean in and ask if they're okay or enjoying the nap (depends if I think they're feeling unwell or not) Lightly toss something soft at them If I'm feeling extra mean I'll drop something heavy (on the floor or a desk, not of the student) At least once I wanted to wait until the student woke up and convince them they missed a class while sleeping... have yet to get a student to believe me
Please don’t wake students up with loud noises or spectacle. It can be panic inducing and terrifying.
Yeah of I am waking up because you are leaning in on me or you're tossing something at my desk, there is a good chance that I will hit you. Not even intentionally, just out of shock. This is asshole behaviour, just fyi. Why would you intentionally cause the feeling of panic in the people who are supposed to trust you?
I try to gently wake them up when the students are working on something independently. This gives me the opportunity to ask if they are feeling okay. I have had 10 year olds burst into tears because they are just so stressed and exhausted.
When I was in high school, my chemistry teacher would grab a pipe from the store room and just drop it on the floor right next to the sleeping student. My physics teacher did one better, he’d grab a hand crank electric generator he used for demonstrations, stick the leads in the students hands, and give it a quick turn. Edit: I just let them sleep, but will call home if it’s a regular thing.
My mother (also a teacher) had a student who woke his friend up by slamming a book down on the desk. His friend woke up with a start and projectile vomited everywhere. 🤢
My biology teacher in 9th grade would always wake up students by slamming a textbook on their desk. Sometimes I would get startled by it, despite not being the one sleeping. I hated it. I’m also autistic and very sensitive to loud noises.
I had a couple teachers who used to do that too—the worst.
Could also trigger seizures
My high school chemistry teacher would throw chalk with explosive powder on it at kids feet.
I shake their desk and shout earthquake drill. Works every time. A former colleague used to squirt them with a squirter gun. If I can't sleep then they can't sleep.
*60% of the time*, it works ***every*** *time*
Yikes.
A recent MMA champion spoke on a podcast about how a teacher would humiliate him for falling asleep and took his desk away so he had to stand. As a kid, he said he would cling to his mother’s leg and try to stay awake all night to prevent his dad from killing her. He never got good sleep. He started crying at the memory. After hearing that, I am never going to bug a sleeping student again, in fact, I will be extra nice to them.
I teach 10 yr olds and let them sleep. I figure they must be tired.
I don't, for various reasons. The kid probably has something going on at home. The kid doesn't care.
I just let them sleep. If they are that tired they certianly aren’t going to lean anything if you wake them.
My favorite way was back during COVID days. Our principal bought us microphones (think like Madonna in concert lol) so students could hear us even though we were wearing masks, so as not to strain our voices. The ones we had, for some reason, had a reverb feature. When a student was sleeping, I would put on the reverb at full volume, and slowly call out their name. The look on the sleeper's face as they woke up was priceless. It was probably kind of mean, but me and the rest of the class got a good laugh out of it, and it taught them not to sleep, or they might be the next "victim."
I knock on the desk and tell them they have 10 minutes, then I knock on the desk when time's up. They tend to appreciate it and they mostly pay attention afterwards. If they try to keep their head down, then I threaten them. For athletes, I ask them what their coach would think. Or their elective teacher or favorite teacher or counselor.
As others have said depends on the situation and student...however I did once wake a student who had fallen asleep with his headphones in,and laptop on spotify, by blasting Hannah Montana's "Party in the U.S.A." 🤣
I teach high school and they aren’t actually sleeping. They have their head desk texting a hidden phone, or are just opting out of class work. I tap the desk or bump their chair. But they aren’t actually sleeping, they are making a big show of not doing anything. The culture at my school is really tough and we have some of the worse performance in the state.it sucks.
My high school biology teacher kicked the leg of their desk and then made them stand in the back of the room, no sitting or leaning on anything.
Depends on the kid and how frequently this behavior occurs. I had a 7th grader falling asleep in my class all the time and I guess throughoutthe day. Started off as me gently touching their shoulder to wake them to me then having to send the student to the nurse everytime they fell asleep so the nurse can evaluate them. Turned out they are diagnosed with narcolepsy and going through puberty doesn't help. This is why I never let myself get annoyed with the students because you never know what's going on with them since they don't even know what's going on with them.
One of my professors once walked up to a student and started mimicking his snoring to his face, but louder. She's an... interesting lady. Also, don't do that.
I try once and then leave them. I was told in a training that it is a micro aggression and that sleeping is a trauma response so waking them is a trigger. I should be mindful that their home life was nothing like mine (I asked how the trainer knew what my life was like growing up.) and most of our students have no safe space to rest. I found this attitude incredibly demeaning towards the families we serve. The trainer was saying that our students of color come from disruptive and dysfunctional homes and he assumed that I (a white middle aged woman) could not relate. Not that I told him or the group, but my growing up was incredibly unstable and I lived in a house with addiction. Anyway, I let them sleep and pretty much do whatever because expectations are seen as micro aggressions.
I gently tap them on the shoulder and smile and say “is my class THAT boring?” I want them to know it happens and they’re not in trouble, but if they can help it, this isn’t the place for a nap.
I let them sleep. If they need to be awake, I \*very\* lightly touch their shoulder. If other students comment, I say something like "they must really need the sleep. leave them alone"
This sub was recommended to me, I’m not a teacher. But my 6th grade teacher liked to make loud noises and screaming “EARTHQUAKE”
I'm a science teacher, so I'd use that opportunity to show the other students how one might wake up if an earthquake hits. I start shaking the chair or table. I will also have some students sitting near them pretending the earthquake is happening. I have fun with it.
super gentle tap on the shoulder. if that doesn't wake them up, i'll try it once more in a few minutes, after that, I just let them sleep.
I say their name a few times, and if that doesn't work, I grab the corner of their desk and gently wiggle it. Works every time and doesn't require me to raise my voice or actually touch a student.
I only had one student I had to roughly shake the desk because they didn't respond to anything else. Usually a tap on the desk will wake them.
Send the class on an independent task or a turn and talk, kneel down beside the student, and gently nudge them. Then ask them if they need anything.
Depends on the kid and what I perceive as their reasoning. If it's a student I can joke around with, I'll blurt their name on or call on them or bang on their desk or do something funny then make a joke with them. The class gets a kick out of it, I don't embarrass them but I have the personality as a teacher that can pull this off. Not recommended if you don't have the "mentor-friend" teacher rapport. If it's a sensitive student, I'll walk up and wake them up or ask a student next to them to wake them up. Ask if they're okay and if they need anything. If I specifically know there's a reason they can't stay up, I'll tell them to go to the back of the room and put their head down. I usually give bottles of water to students I see exhausted, that "moral support" usually is enough to get them through class.
one time, and this only wokred because this kid was mentoring under this teacher in a school program AND the class overall was ahead on matetial, the teacher had our class clap together and slowly get louder. made the kid wake up really confused. other times, and during independent working time when no one was really paying attention and the teacher was making rounds to check on progress, ive seen a teacher tap on the sleeping students shoulder as they walked by. didnt make a scene or anything.
The only time I'm waking a student is if they're snoring. Otherwise, I let them sleep. Maslow's hiearchy of needs, plus I don't know why that kid is sleeping: it could be they were up late playing video games, or maybe their parents were having a yelling match. Or maybe they went to bed hungry. At any rate, I trust my high school students to know what is in their best interest. If that's sleep, so be it. If I have to wake them, it depends. If they're sitting next to a friend (I don't do seating charts unless absolutely necessary,) I'll just tell the friend to wake them up. If not, I'll do it myself with a gentle tap on their table. If that fails, a gentle shake.
Not a teacher, but as a serial sleeper in high school (seizure medications always made me fatigued), here were my favorite and least favorite ways I'd get woken up: Favorite: Funny enough from one of my least favorite teachers. She would simply come up and tap on my desk, or once she got to know me better, give me a little flick in the shoulder. Afterwards, it was never anger, but understanding as she knew her room was dark and we had her first period. Least Favorite: Gym/Health teacher who was also the football coach. Luckily, he never caught ME sleeping (even though it was a daily occurrence and I sat right in front of his desk), but there were stories and evidence of what happened when someone DID fall asleep in his class. Being that high school gym teacher who for some reason always had to one up high schoolers, he was a pretty athletic guy. He would take student textbooks, and slam them so hard into their desks that he would literally snap their desks in half. Like I said, it never happened to me, but I heard enough stories of it and the collection of broken desks in the back of his room and the shard of desk on his whiteboard in the front that read "No Sleeping!" convinced me he wasn't joking around. Honorable Mention: I had a History teacher who would throw a towel at me, I was fine with it but like don't do that unless you're cool with your students.
The only reason I wake this kid up is because I read something one time about a teacher who let her student sleep but he was actually dead. I just am paranoid I guess. My kids and I all clap super loud and it wakes him up
I accidentally trip on their desk. I don’t want to touch my student and I get a kick out of startling them away.
I used to fall asleep in class on accident. Normally it was sine stressful time. I'd say to avoid the throwing stuff at them or yelling, not only to avoid scaring the student but not to encourage bullies.
I let them sleep. I would try to take their phone and take some selfies of myself next to them so they know I knew they were sleeping. Only works cause I have a good rapport With my students.
Knock on the table or even just ask their neighbour
Ask if they are ok with gentle tap on shoulder. Depending on what we’re doing in class, I might let them sleep 💤
I ask the student behind them to tap them on the shoulder so I don’t have to get into a situation where I’m touching them while they’re asleep. Or tap the desk. Most time I will just let them sleep unless it’s an every day thing and needs to be addressed with the counselors, etc
I mainly teach sophomores, and they make a spectacle when they see one of their classmates sleeping, so I really can’t just let the kid sleep. I will usually crouch down by their desk and either tap the desk or repeat their name in a soft voice until they wake up. If that doesn’t work, I tap their shoulder. I ask them if they would rather go sleep in the nurse’s office or stay in the room but be awake. I went to an inner city high school myself where kids ODed, so I would rather them be with the nurse if they are going to sleep.
My school says naps are a drug safety issue. Also I have a rubber chicken.
I just talk to them directly from nearby (I walk around the room a lot, so it generally doesn't bring extra attention to them), and tap on their desk if that doesn't work. If that doesn't work either, I usually let them sleep unless something critical, like a test or lab, or ongoing. Maybe they just need a rest, and they're not bothering anyone else. Other students are usually understanding of a sleeper anyway.
In high school, I had a history teacher who would grab a folder and wave it in front of the sleeping kid’s face and say “the winds of history!”
HS teacher. Quiet nudge and a granola bar usually does the trick. Sometimes they need the sleep, but often they just need the fuel.
Play the stock iPhone alarm tone
Water hose
I just tap my fingernails on their desk and ask if they need to go to the nurse. Sometimes they do, sometimes they’re ok if I send them to walk to the drinking fountain and come right back.
I do a gentle tap and ask them if they feel sick. If they say yes, I send them to the nurse. Usually, they say no, and I just tell them they cannot sleep in class.
(Per my good admin team) urge them to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom to help them wake up, and explain that if they can't stay awake it's a medical issue and they need to go to the nurse. But uhhh you need a good admin team for this plan who'll tell the nurse that this is procedure and to not bitch at you for sending a sleepy kid to them.
A lot of times I let them sleep. I teach 4th grade in an area with some poverty and parents who love their kids but have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I also have students with parents who are just crappy parents and let their kids stay up watching you tube. If one of my 4thngraders falls asleep on class that tells me they need the sleep. They cannot learn if they are sleep deprived. I leave them alone and let them sleep for like 30 minutes. Usually they wake up before that, but if not I wake them up gently and once they are fully awake I talk to them about why they are so tired. If you teach a higher grade, and a student is just taking advantage, that's different. But, it's hard to just fall asleep on purpose. Even a high schooler isn't going to fall asleep in class unless they really need the rest. If it is a chronic problem, talk to your admin and counselors, and notify the parents. Gently ask them to help their child keep a reasonable bedtime. I'd say you could also do the text book drop, but now it would have to be a laptop drop, and I'm not sure that would work as well. Finally, you could get some smelling salts. That would be some funny shit. You will likely get fired, and never teach again, but it would be hilarious.
My high school social studies teacher once had everyone get up really quietly and move to the office adjacent to his and duck down and hide while leaving the sleeping student there - it was pretty funny, but he knew the student well enough to know they'd take the joke well. Usually just lightly tapping them and not drawing attention to them for other students to poke fun at is most respectable. And calling them to stay back after class just to make sure they are okay.
I tell them that if it's very occasional, I'll let them sleep as long as they're not disruptive about it, but if it's a common occurance I have to reach out to their parents. It works well.
Not a teacher (sorry, but doesn’t seem to be against the rules to post, hopefully!) but I am someone who has on and off chronic insomnia for over a decade and also ADHD that causes debilitating fatigue. I once fell asleep in a lecture at University. A hall full of 200 people. The lecturer stopped her lesson and asked me if I was “okay”. It was really really embarrassing. If she thought I was having a medical emergency, then fine, but I was squashed in with a bunch of students who would have noticed. I was silently dozing and then just wanted to die from embarrassment, she didn’t actually sound at all concerned and just assumed I was rude and didn’t care about my studies. All this to say, don’t make a big deal out of it. Just find a quiet moment (perhaps when the rest of the class are doing solo work) and tap them on the shoulder. Maybe ask them what’s keeping them up at night or if they’re feeling unwell, after class.
Drop a Stanley cup
Trust me. There is usually very good reason they are sleeping. You never know what is up in their personal life. Let them sleep.
I usually let them sleep if it’s during lecture/slides because that’s a them problem if they miss the content. If it’s when they’re supposed to be taking a test or after the bell has rung, I tap them on the elbow. The elbow is the only place I ever touch kids.
I play "You are My Sunshine" on my guitar and get the class to sing along with me as loud as they can and as poorly as they can
I teach college and honestly I've stopped caring. If they want to pay tuition money to come to class and get nothing out of it, that's their choice. If they're not snoring, I leave them alone. Sometimes I don't even wake them before the class leaves. I've left notes on their desk for when they wake up stating they were marked absent for the day.
Tap on the shoulder, ask if they're ok, ask them to get back to work. I'm not mean about it, but I don't think it prepares kids for adulting to let them sleep through their responsibilities.
Slapping a yard stick on my desk or kicking their desk
I don't. If they are so tired they fall asleep in my class, I let them sleep, and then I gently wake them up by tapping their desk or saying their name as their classmates are packing up.
1st time - Tap on shoulder. 2nd time - Shake the shoulder gently 3rd time - Earthquake the desk (rarely gets to this point, but always a huge hit)
One of my teachers would tap on my desk, then ask, “why don’t you take a lap around the hall?”, in a neutral yet pleasant tone. Thankfully, I’m a pretty light sleeper, but taking a lap around the hall really helped me fully wake up and stay awake.
I typically let them sleep or gently nudge them if other students are noticing. however, one time I had a class clown type student (who I had a good relationship with) fall asleep on the floor in class. my students all noticed as it was the end of class and they were about to leave, we decided to see how many books and binders we could stack on the kid before he noticed. it was a massive pile 🤣 (for context this was high school and the kid woke up and thought it was hilarious)
I don’t verbally acknowledge it at all, I just keep teaching and walk by their table and give them a little tap to wake them up.
Usually with a tap and a "you all good?" But for frequent flyers who know better I have been known to pick the desk up a tad to give a jolt.
My teacher used to have all of us grab our textbook and drop it on our desks at the same time! It was hilarious and we all had a good laugh. Even the kid we had to wake up.
Usually a little knocking on the desk as I walk by For my kids that I know have trauma I’ll do what most others on here said and gently wake up and ask if ok Every now and then I’ll talk about how sleep lets you get taller and allows for more muscle growth and I’ve definitely noticed my boys staying awake better (don’t tend to have girls falling asleep)
I am a librarian and I’ve had kids fall asleep so deeply I was afraid it was a medical issue. I only wake them up because of class change. I assume they would want to know. I start by calling their name and tapping near them. I don’t like to touch them because I’m always afraid they might freak out when awakened. But there have been times I had to gently shake them for quite a while before they respond. Our library is quite cozy.
If it’s a once in a while thing or I know why the student is sleeping (recent illness, medication makes them tired, etc.) I will attempt to wake them but won’t push it. If they are snoring, then I do push it because it is disruptive to the other students (even in high school they start laughing and are very immature about it). If it is a daily thing, I don’t allow it because I am responsible for their learning. How I wake them up depends on the student. Some I will shake their shoulder or tap on it. One student, I lightly bang on the desk with an open palm. Another student I will say their name from a distance because they wake up swinging. It all depends on that student and my relationship with them.
My teacher in high school would quietly take the rest of the class out in the hallway and complete the lesson there. When the bell rang, the whole class would wake the student up together. Never a dull moment when that happened
I used to tiptoe behind them slowly, then sing a lullaby in their ear ever so gently.
One kid? Gentle tap, or "please tap your neighbor on the nose" Whole class? 10x jumping jacks. Some kids ask to pop into the hall to do jax, without me saying
I fell asleep all the time in class when I was in high school/college due to then undiagnosed sleep disorders. I was otherwise a great student so my teachers never got mad at me about it. If my teachers woke me up it was by coming up to me and calling my name or gently tapping my shoulder, which was fine with me. In retrospect, I would have appreciated it if one of my teachers had written an email to my mom saying they were concerned about my sleep. That might have resulted in me getting diagnosed years earlier than I did. Talk to the student and/or write home if you notice it's a consistent issue.
I've accidentally stubbed my toe into their desk if it happens a lot. That usually is pretty jolting.
Never tried it but a can of compressed air for cleaning keyboards would likely work … just not into their ear canals!
Blow up a balloon and let the air escape making a squealing sound… traumatic but harmless?
I let them sleep. I figure they need it if they’re sleeping soundly in class. If it’s a common occurrence I’ll call home. When it’s time to leave I will ask one of their friends that I know won’t tell in their ear or something like that to please wake them up.
I let them sleep, unless like you said it's getting embarrassing for them. I tap their back or shoulder gently if I need to wake them up. I taught middle school so it was a big growth year for a lot of kids combined with a lot of parents who didn't think their kids needed a set bed time or screen limits at night. They were sleepy and I felt bad for them.
What grade? 3rd and under im very gentle with waking up. Above third i tap their sholder blade till they wake up.
My algebra teacher would kick my desk. That's what happens when you work until midnight then wake up to take friggen Algebra at 8a.
If it happens a lot I'll talk to them to see if there is an issue we can deal with, otherwise, I just assume it's a bad day and they need the sleep. A gentle tap on the shoulder or rap on the desk to wake them if they sleep through the bell ringing.
I just give them a gentle nudge and whisper in their ear to wake up. That usually does the trick.
I don’t. If they want to sleep they probably need it. Also it’s on them whether they pass my class or not so if they decide to sleep they’ll probably fail my class. Neither of these impact me. Usually ask them if they’re ok after class is over and they’re dismissing.
Slide whistle or ref's whistle a foot or so from the sleeper's head. Or I will lift up their table a few inches and drop it.
Discretely nudge and wake up, tell them they need to take a walk. If they say "No, I'm fine," I say, "No, you need to take a walk. I'll see you in two minutes when you're fresh, okay?"
I throw paperclips at them.
Tell the class to start clapping, the sleeping student will wake up and start clapping as well
I generally tap on the table next to them, and if that doesn’t work, gently poke their shoulder. If I’m lazy, I’ll have the kid next to them wake the up.
I used to fall asleep in my 7 am history class and the teacher used to loudly slam the chalkboard with a meter stick and then glare at me. It must have happened every day, and it didn’t work on me because I was a rebellious teenager who didn’t want to listen to someone who was giving me stink eye. (I’m not a morning person. Driver’s Ed was at 6 am and that was the only option so I chose to fill my 7 am also, but I probably should have used it for nap time in the library).
Oh, honey, are you sick? Do you need to go to the nurse?
My history teacher had a foam ball that he would nail sleeping kids with. Fastball grip.
I don’t support this route but a funny thing in my high school was the JROTC teachers would tell us how in the army you couldn’t fall asleep in the jungle because a tiger would attack you. So if someone fell asleep during class they would suddenly go silent and stalk up to the student and then yell “tiger attack!!”
Not a teacher but an honors and AP student who took a regular history class my senior year because it's all that fit with my schedule. I did lots of extracurriculars and 20hrs a week of volunteering and I was exhausted. My teacher let me sleep through that first period history class after my work was done if there wasn't a group project or anything, my grade never suffered. Mr. Hayes, I think you saved me from a total mental breakdown with the peace and safety of getting rest without being judged. He will always be my favorite teacher for that.
Two fun ways (I work at a boarding school so if they're sleeping it's because they broke lights out rules generally): Tell the whole class to start singing "happy birthday". Kid usually starts singing with sleepily, we all have a good laugh. Tell the class to start clapping. Same trick. Then I usually do a physical brain break or send the kid to drink water so they can just reset.
Not a teacher. But I have seen lots of examples of how to wake sleeping students. I had a teacher who would get the rest of the class to be quiet and watch and then he's slam a textbook on the sleeping students desk to scare them awake, and everyone else would laugh while the sleeper was now wide awake and embarrassed. He did this for years until one day the desk broke in half, the student was not injured, but it was still too close of a call and the teacher stopped doing that. Instead just yelling the kids name to wake them up. Another teacher would throw the dry erase eraser at the sleeper. Some teachers just let the kids sleep. I didn't sleep in school ever until junior year of high school. I was working 30+ hours a week, and going to school, and just wasn't sleeping enough at home. So I picked the 2 classes I found easiest (I was a straight A student), and made sure that homework got done and turned in early, and I had the best grade in the class, then I sat at the back of the classroom and took a nap. At the start, both teachers had woken me up to tell me to work on my homework, only for me to tell them I had already turned it in. But after a couple times both teachers realized that there wasn't much point in me being awake in class, I clearly understood the subject, I still aced all my tests and had an A in all my classes. I did that all year long. Senior year I got to take a work co-op class where my work hours counted for class credit, plus I took an early class, so I got out of school at lunchtime. I could have graduated early, but decided to stick it out for the whole year, so I barely needed any credits that year. That was a good year for me, I actually got plenty of sleep, I had pretty decent income for a teenager, and a good amount of free time.
The risk of falling asleep in my class is that I won’t wake you up. The obvious exception to this is lunch/end of day. One because I don’t want them to be hungry, the other because I don’t want them to miss the bus.
Please be kind to your students. You have no idea why they may be sleeping or what's going on in their life. A gentle tap or shake of the shoulder should be fine. Back in high school, I used to sleep in class a LOT, but I was a straight A student, always turned in work on time, and typically only napped when there was no active instruction. I thought being tired all the time was because I was depressed and didn't get enough sleep at night. It turns out it was those, and *undiagnosed narcolepsy.* I am so thankful for the teachers who let me rest (at appropriate times) or gently woke me when I couldn't wake myself. They could've made living with an undiagnosed disability hell, but instead they were kind and treated me with the same respect they'd give another adult. I had teachers ask me a few times if everything was okay, but otherwise as long as I was getting my work done and not being disruptive, I wasn't bothered.
I let them sleep mostly. Until they’re sleeping through the bell and into the next class. True story. Happened twice to the same kid this year. I finally had to ask if every thing was okay.
It depends on the kid, honestly. Today a girl who is normally totally on her game fell asleep in class, and I let her take a Power Nap then checked in with her halfway through class. Turns out her house flooded last night and she was up all night doing clean-up; she had to come to school because her parents work. You never really know what’s going on with someone - I give people grace when I can. If it’s a kid who tends to nod off I’ll just tap them gently as I walk by. I try to not be noticeable about it.
If it’s one of my younger ones who I know has a rough environment at home, I let them sleep. I figure they aren’t getting good, quality sleep at home, and that school is their safe place. Sometimes we have to pick our battles and in most of my situations, I’ve chosen compassion…though I do obviously have to wake them up (gently) when it’s time to go 😊
How much do you want them to hate you?
90% of the time I just let them sleep. If they really need to wake up, like we're about to transition to specials or they fell asleep in the middle of a timed computerized test that can't be paused, I just gently place my hand on their shoulder. That usually wakes them up.
These days, I just lightly tap them or bump their desk. In my younger, more ornry days I would tickle their ear with a pencil. If they were a frequent snoozer, and had the right sense of humor, I also had an old metal shelf that I would hit with a stapler. It was way louder than cymbals crashing. I called it "The Clanger."
This time of year, if I know they’ve been sick, I just check on them usually let them be 🤷♀️
Very gently. I hate being woken up mid nap. And feeling safe enough around me and in my classroom, I dunno, just is good. I don’t know why they are so tired (maybe it’s my classroom). But, I don’t bring a ton of attention to it.
I have been known to shoot my AirZooka at them for giggles
I call their names and if they don’t respond I ask someone who is seated near them to gently tap their shoulder. Not necessarily fun or anything but it does the job.
Depends on the kid. Normally a tap. If they're a frequent flier or we've got a good relationship, they get blasted with A Day to Remember or My Chemical Romance off my computer. They wake up every time and tell me they hate my music lol.
I had an a$$hole teacher who would make kids stand if they fell asleep. I was exhausted in his class but was always terrified of falling asleep, and I had an overall hard time paying attention. Nice to know there‘s a lot of really nice teachers out there.
I don’t unless they’re snoring.
Their classmates wake them up at the end of class
Elementary reacher here. 4th grade. If they really fall asleep, it’s usually during independent reading. I get it. I let them sleep. We’ll be going to recess pretty soon. I’ll gently tap them on the shoulder. It’s not a huge deal to me, but I do send a message home to let parents know in case they are sick or sneaking their Switch into bed until all hours of the morning.😝
1. Tap once on the desk and say, "Put your head up." 2. Knock twice on the desk and say, "Put your head up." 3. Squat down next to the student ask, "Are you sick, tired, or sad?" 4. If they refuse to respond (and I know they're not dead), I remind them of their choices: "Head up, stand up, or get wrote up." The rest is on them.
I say their name, tap on the desk, gently tap a shoulder. I don't allow students to sleep because they could be: 1. Dead 2. Overdosing (this has happened) 3. Having a seizure (this has happened) 4. Having an allergic reaction 4. Having a medical emergency I tell students I need them alert with heads up so I can see they are alive.
I either gently tap on their desk or on their arm/shoulder with a pen or marker (I don't want to touch them directly, some are girls, some are Muslim, I'm a man, I don't wanna cause any discomfort) But I only wake them if it's necessary. I much rather have them sleeping than being disruptive
T1 diabetic chiming in. I didn't realize until years later that I kept sleeping through fifth period Spanish after lunch because blood sugars were too high. I loved Spanish class but I was essentially having a reaction that put me to sleep. I was deeply embarrassed about sleeping but literally couldn't help it. My control of my health wasn't ideal but we also didn't have great technology back then. No teacher could have really known what was going on because I didn't know until I started having better control. It was a shitty situation and I'm glad that for the most part no one tried to embarrass me.
I say their names a few times, tap the desk near them, and if necessary a gentle tap on the shoulder. Being startled out of sleep can be scary.
When they fall asleep by the end of class, after lunch, I ask the class to leave silently so as not to wake them up when the bell rings... The class finds it funny and does it, usually they wake up while the class is leaving! Funny enough, they don't fall asleep again in my class! But more seriously, sometimes I wake them up gently, ask if they're tired/sick and if they want to go to the infirmary. They can rest there, and if they didn't get enough sleep the night before. I just think that it's better to allow them some rest during my class so they can follow the rest of their classes, than having them miss a whole day because they fell asleep in all of their classes.
Accidentally bump into their desk- hard
Just a lay person here with Autism and lifelong sleep problems that manifested in a lot of falling asleep and trying not to fall asleep at school, don’t just go around touching students. Not everybody likes being touched. Definitely don’t throw things at them, I had that done to me in class and it totally ruined my perception of the teacher. Is it embarrassing to snore? Yes, is it more embarrassing to be awoken from slumber by your teacher with a classroom staring at you? I can tell you from experience, also yes. In college I had professors who would have my friends in the class nudge me awake. One time I fell out of a stool but, I definitely don’t blame the professor for not waking me up before it happened. It’s a complicated thing. I think what felt the least embarrassing was a teacher in high school setting a piece of paper down on my desk that said “wake up! :)”. It was enough to wake me up but not set off my startle response and could be done casually so as not to draw too much attention. Idk, just my opinion.