I have been at my school for 21 years on the same hall. There is an overhang that I promise every boy that has ever been on that hall has jumped up and tried to touch. 6th and 7th grade. A few must touch every banner or sign hanging. Rite of passage, I guess.
I would talk about how many germs are on hands and left behind on tables/any other surface. There was recently an experiment done where students who had just been to the bathroom.
The student's hands were rubbed on bread and then the bread was put in a plastic bag. One student did not wash his/her hands, one student used hand sanitizer, one student rinsed his/her hands with water, and one student washed his/her hands with soap for twenty seconds. After many days, the bread began to grow. Students observed the bacteria under a microscope.
The results were just what you would expect.
Perhaps you can find this experiment and show it to your students. Perhaps the lightbulb will go on in a few brains, and they will discontinue smacking the top of the door frame.
Another thing you could do it send student to the bathroom to wash their hands after smacking the door frame. Sounds to me like this is a safety issue.
Nope! 4th graders can't pass up the challenge either. It is some kind of rite of passage. You have arrived when you are tall enough to actually touch the top!
Interestingly, this is not a phenomenon I've ever experienced. But I've heard of it being a thing many other places. We are not housed in a traditional school building, so I wonder if our doors are lacking that special something that compels most boys.
Truer words have not been spoken-its true for 3rd as well. If I had a dollar for every time my class has had to "go all the way back and try again using our line procedures correctly", then I could have a spa day this year.
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03-03-2020, 10:46 AM
I once had a boy hit the doorway and the clock came right down on his head. He was a good kid, too, and so embarrassed. 
