Celebrating and enjoying holidays in the classroom

Teaching Pre K-8, Nov/Dec 1999 by Stephens, Mary W

Just in time for Thanksgiving, some tips on how you and your kids can enjoy a pre-holiday change of pace

The serendipity occurred when my principal requested that the faculty dress in costume the day before Thanksgiving vacation began. I chose the calico, "schoolmarm," Miss Lots-oPockets dress I wore as a character in our Children's Bible Class at church.

The costume included an apron with 10 pockets. "What will I do with these pockets?" I wondered.

Suddenly an idea exploded in my brain. I turned to my lesson plan, jotted down 10 activities on individual slips of paper, folded them and put them in the pockets.

By class time next morning, I had recorded the activities and their approximate completion time, set up files of materials for each one and created a check-off list of the activities so I could note the ones chosen. Most of the items I selected were already in my lesson plans. I did include two or three seasonal creative exercises.

When my fourth graders were settled the next morning, I explained the procedures for the day. The helper of the week made the first choice from a pocket. After we completed the activity, the student who'd made the selection drew a classmate's name from our "random choice" basket and we repeated the process.

All that day our anticipation continued as we wondered together what we would be doing next. The activities kept our attention focused on classroom responsibilities and diverted from the clock. We all enjoyed celebrating our departure from routine on the day before Thanksgiving.

It worked so well, I repeated the procedure before Spring Break and Easter vacation. Spring Break occurred just before St. Patrick's Day, so students drew "gold" coins from a Leprechaun's pot of gold. For Easter, I set a table with a centerpiece of an Easter basket full of plastic eggs. Yes, each coin and each egg contained directions for a different activity.

Faulty thinking. The next year, I expanded the procedure to include the entire week before the Christmas holiday. I placed instructions inside small containers, then gift wapped and numbered each one. My thinking was, "If a day is good, a week is better!" But it was faulty thinking. A week was too long!

If you're considering changing your routine before vacation, here are three alternative strategies you might try instead of spending an entire week on a flexible schedule:

1. Just spend the entire day before the vacation the way I did the first year.

2. Keep part of your regular routine - mornings, perhaps - and reserve the rest of the day for the random choice activities.

3. Instead of a week of changed routine, choose two or three days before vacation.

However you package it, changing one's routine before a holiday offers two benefits: First, it's an excellent opportunity for using thematic activities related to the holiday; and second, it allows for activities which address all areas of the curriculum. The celebration can go just as far as your imagination will take it.

Points of departure. I recommend the following list of activities as points of departure for energetic, creative teachers who want to add variety to their classroom routine:

* Each student pretends that he or she is a child from a different time or culture and writes about the holiday from that person's perspective.

* Students complete critical thinking activities such as crossword puzzles, word finds and logic problems.

* Teachers design regular academic lessons with a holiday twist.

* Students make greeting cards for hospital patients.

* Students create a classroom holiday book for younger children, either in school or in a preschool day care center,

* Fine arts activities.

* The class completes a community service project such as making seasonal tray favors for nursing home residents.

Let your imagination reign as you design authentic exercises that help you and your students celebrate - and enjoy - the last days before a vacation. Then stand back and watch serendipitous experiences surprise all of you. -@

INTERNET CONNECTIONS

TOPIC: THANKSGIVING

1

KIDS DOMAIN THANKSGIVING: www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/ thanks/index.html Wonderful collection of activities, puzzles, stories and more for Thanksgiving. Try the online games, crafts and recipes, or the related links.

2

PLIMOTH-ON-WEB: www.plimoth.org/ Visit the virtual museum to see Plimoth, the Mayflower and Thanksgiving resources. Take a virtual tour or explore the related links.

3

HOLIDAYS ON THE NET: www.holidays.net/ Comprehensive index of holidays throughout the year with links to activities, games, lessons and historic resources.

Mary Stephens is a retired classroom teacher from Roswell, NM. She teaches at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell and supervises student teachers for ENMU-Portales.