Tomorrow my class will have a celebration. But not because of the impending holidays. They earned it by kicking A** on their benchmark tests.
Deciding how to handle the holidays has always been a struggle for me. Do you throw a Christmas party or Winter party? What about students who don't celebrate Christmas or holidays? Why throw a party at all? Should I assist the students with a craft/gift for their parents? Ug, too many choices and any choice I make seems likely to offend or upset someone. And just who do you think is going to clean up the mess and the spills after the party is over? The frazzled teacher.
Some of the more creative teachers are planning non-food, non-holiday parties. One teacher is allowing her students to bring in and play board games. Another is planning a science experiment party. What am I going to do?
I'm throwing a party (with food) to celebrate our great scores on our district benchmark tests. And, no, I didn't cheat and neither did my students.
This has been a tough year. I switched grades again, am learning to blend in with another great team of teachers, and am learning yet another curriculum. My students, while great, come with a lot of baggage that I must either deal with and fix, or try to ignore. So I feel like I've spent my school year poking and prodding apathetic students along. I don't harass just one student, I harass all of them.
So I'll take my celebrations wherever, and whenever, I can get them.
Celebrations bring people together. We don't even care why we're celebrating, so long as we're together, having fun and spending time with the people we love . . . or like . . . or tolerate.
If I want my students to care about school, to feel loved, and to want to come spend 6 hours a day with me . . . then I'd better plan time for a few celebrations. Whether you choose to celebrate the season, the holiday, or the grades, who cares! Just celebrate. Let your kids enjoy life for a few minutes. Bond with your students and show them you care.
3 comments:
I like your idea of dancing around the religious holiday,it's a good idea.
Education has subtracted the fun out of school, but teachers need to celebrate successes and directly teach the students how to be creative. It still surprises me every year when I get students that don't know how to color, glue, or cut.
@ Anonymous 4:30 - I'm definitely a creative person so it's frustrating when students choose to take the easy way out rather than taking pride in their work. Even when presented with opportunities to be creative, some kids (and teachers) will run with it, while others panic and give up.
One of my favorite things about teaching is when the students applaud someone spontaneously. It always brings tears to my eyes. If I teach nothing else, I want my students to think about how their actions affect others. The simple act of acknowledging others goes a long way.
Post a Comment