How Do You Celebrate Holidays in Your Classroom?

How Do You Celebrate Holidays in Your Classroom?

This time I am asking and thinking about this topic because of something that happened with my own son.  He is in first grade.  I have always taught secondary (middle and high school).  I have mostly taught in an urban district, with a high ELL population.  We live (and he goes to school) in a middle-class suburb.  Those may be both part of the difference....

I got an email from my son's first grade teacher on Friday.  Up until now I have been very happy with her, so I don't think this is part of anything else.  She asked me in her email to please have a talk with him over the weekend.  Apparently they had been doing several Santa-related activities in class and he was 'going around telling the other kids that Santa wasn't real.'  Apparently several of the kids, and therefore the parents, were very upset.  

When my husband and I read the email our first reaction was shocked - not that he had done something to cause trouble but that (1) he was pushing his beliefs on others - that doesn't sound like him and, even more so (2) that he didn't believe in Santa. This is the boy who gets out Christmas books from the library all year long, and LOVES everything Christmas related.  

So...Friday night we talked to him.  We told him about the email we had gotten.  We asked him why he didn't believe in Santa.  He said he just changed his mind and decided that.  We asked him what exactly had happened.  He insisted that he just told his two friends sitting next to him that he didn't believe in Santa, when they were writing about Santa.  I asked him if the teacher had already spoken to him.  She had.  He said he didn't say anything else after that.  We discussed why it might be upsetting to his friends, and that sometimes it is better to not say anything. 

I then emailed the teacher back and relayed that conversation.  I also asked her for some clarification...was he not telling me the whole story?  Or how did this get so big?  And get parents upset?  Her response was friendly, but stated that Santa is such an important thing for kids that age and that most still do believe.  They will be doing many more Santa-related activities, and she wants my son to keep his opinions to himself.  To please let her know if that is a problem.

I don't disagree that there is a lesson there for my son, and a teachable moment.  However, as a teacher, and as a parent, I think there are other lessons there was well, and questions raised in my mind.  

For example: 

• How much does "Santa" belongs in school? What if he didn't believe in Santa, not just because he decided he wasn't sure he believed, but because we were a different ethnicity or religion? 
• What is the lesson on being able to express your opinion, and have others disagree with you, if you do it politely? (Obviously not pressuring others, but simply saying you don't agree).
• What is the lesson for other students on having someone who thinks differently about something you hold as important?
• As a teacher, how much of our own bias and interests play into our classrooms? 

Because of where I teach, maybe my perspective is different.  I would be very hesitant to do much Santa related, because (1) its much  harder to work into the curriculum for secondary science and (2) I have so many kids who are from different culture and religions.  But Santa is also part of American culture.....

What do you do in your classroom?   I have always done the seasonal activity that I discussed below, although I might try something different this year.  I'd love to hear responses in the comments.  

Giveaway

There is a big giveaway on Realistic Teacher's blog.  It runs Dec 2nd-9th (starts tomorrow)! 

You can get to it by clicking on the picture below to go to her blog.  

She is raffling off prizes split by age groups.  There are three bundles for age groups K-2, a 3-5 grade bundle, and a grades 6-8 bundle. 

You have the chance to get a bunch of different freebies and check out some excellent teachers.

Check it out and enter any age groups you are interested in.  You can directly enter the grades 6-8 age groups below. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Amazing Holiday Gift for You

A holiday gift from the secondary teachers at TpT to you!  Even though in secondary grades we may not have as much time to spend on holiday and seasonal activities as the lower grades, there are ways to do it!  Here are some great tips for ways to integrate some holiday cheer into your classroom, and help maintain student focus around this time of year.  There are teaching tips and holiday-related freebies from secondary teachers in each subject area on TpT.  

Check it out (click on the image) and HAPPY HOLIDAYS

And if you are not a secondary teacher, there are editions for grades Prek-K, 1-2, and 3-6 as well.  

        

Behind the Scenes: The Truth About Exit Tickets and Vocabulary

I Made a Simple Change to my Classroom Warm Ups and saw Surprising Results! 

I have always done bellwork, or a "Do Now" when kids come into class.  I have always made those either an open ended question to what we are doing now, or a review question or test question from what we did yesterday.  This year I am changing it around, and I have to say I am very happy with the results.  I wrote more about my bellwork routines here

Students can't test well when they can't understand the questions

I have a lot of kids whose reading scores are very low this year (average reading level about 4th grade, give or take, in 7th and 8th), and a lot of SPED and ELL kids.   This is discussed further in this post

What I did to focus on vocabulary

I decided to focus bellwork on those "tier 2" vocabulary words. You know, the ones that are not content specific, but kids don't know....words like

essential, abundant, similar, variation....

Each day I put up a word and either use it in a sentence, or put pictures with it, and then have the kids do two things: 
 - infer the meaning of the word
 - use it in a sentence of their own.

Some examples are in in these inferring vocabulary resources. 

At the end of the week bellwork is a matching quiz on those words.  I am so happy to report that the end of the week quizzes have been great.  I'm hearing things like "I know these!  These are the words we've been doing" 

To make sure we are quizzing/reviewing content, I'm doing a ticket out at the end of each class.    It really allows them to settle down and process, puts a good closure to the class, and I can catch misconceptions before they go.  They are in the habit now of handing me their ticket out on the way out.  

I have also worked with them on vocabulary using the strategies discussed here but I have found a focus during warm ups to be one of the most effective strategies. 

I have seen a dramatic improvement in their confidence levels, their comprehension, and their overall test scores. 

My Simple Little Middle School Classroom Management Breakthrough

I have been working on management, with one group of 7th graders that I have.  Classdojo, and many other suggestions and tricks have gone a long ways.  But my current favorite is a stamp.  I bought a box of a few different stamps on clearance at Wal-Mart for a dollar.  I will come stamp their paper when they are in their seat working, especially at the start of class during bellwork.  Sometimes when they do stations I will stamp when they have completed the station.  It's amazing! 

They run to their seat and get quiet so they can get their paper stamped! I hear across the room "I'm working too!  Stamp mine!"   

Who knew that would be such a big deal to 7th graders.  Its cheap, easy, and honestly kind of fun for me too.  I'm all for positive reinforcement, but I'm trying to get away from candy.  This is a great alternative! 

Don't forget the cybermonday sale

What happens when you spend time with your students outside of class?

On a Friday night my school had a movie night.  We played a movie in the gym, and invited staff and student families to come watch the movie.  They sold popcorn, people were supposed to bring blankets and pillows and stuffed animals.

It was a really fun, positive night, and great to see kids out of context and out of class. To just get to relax and interact with them, without any pressure of work to be done, a clock to watch, and so many other distractions.

Our school is K-8.  Most of the students and families who showed up were fairly young. There was only one 'upper school' (7th or 8th) grade student.  He is one of our most hyperactive, behavior problem kind of kids that we have. I had him in class this year and last year.  He is kind of a likable kid, but always saying things that offend other kids, not doing work, bouncing around, goofing around....

At the movie night I saw a completely different person.  He came in with his blanket, quietly got a chair, sat near me and my kids.  He introduced  himself and shyly said hello to them.  He shook hands and talked to my son for a minute.  Then he wrapped up on the blanket and watched the movie silently.  When the movie was done he asked another adult to borrow a phone, called his parents for a ride, and politely told me to have a good weekend, and said bye to my kids.

It gave me a new perspective on him.  And made me think.  Will I treat him differently in class?  What can I do to bring out some of that from him in class?

When have you seen kids in a totally different light outside of class?

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Enjoy!!