The days before Christmas break are always interesting to plan for. Teachers don’t want to start anything new, because students will be away too long to remember what they did before the break. Students are so excited they can’t sit still in their seats; because they are so ready for time off they can barely stand it. Classrooms are filled with the smell of gingerbread cookies and cupcakes lovingly crafted at home for sharing. Smiles are on practically everyone’s faces.
What is a teacher to do? Continue as normal? Some teachers choose to. Sometimes things get in the way so much that it is impossible to finish every state standard on time if there isn’t a nose-to-the-grindstone attitude in class. I can understand that. But, if at all possible, it is good to wrap up a unit the day before break and leave that last day for more creative endeavors.
One idea that is clearly still standards based is to have students write letters of thanks and cheer to soldiers. This lesson could work for any K-12 classroom. Even the tiniest tots Making the kids think about the people who sacrifice for them is a great thing. Besides, the soldiers like to hear a thank you from time to time.
Another is to make cards or write stories for elderly that are in a nursing home without family to visit with them. When I was a kid, we always did this for Girl Scouts. We’d even deliver the letters ourselves and then Christmas carol. One year, I recall even playing an impromptu piano recital for a small group of them. I felt honored to make them smile, and I’m fairly certain that many students would feel the same if they were given the opportunity.
There’s a program at my school where the Spanish teacher and the History teacher take the kids to a child care facility. Kids that are abandoned or abused often don’t get to enjoy Christmas as much as their more fortunate peers. Asking students to bring a gift to share with the kids and then delivering it to the home is a great experience for both. The kids who donate and the kids who receive both learn the importance of taking care of each other. I can’t help but smile when students whip out their smartphones to show me a picture of ‘their kid’ at the home and talk about how they can’t wait to go back to see ‘their kid’ again.
Finally, letting students have a board game day is another fun idea. Many kids don’t play board games anymore. It is coming to be a lost past-time, as they are so wrapped up in games on their phones and on consoles. Playing a board game promotes interaction and excitement, if the right one is chosen. For example, the game Apples to Apples is fantastic for vocabulary development and cultural literacy. It is social, causing people to ask questions and justify their answers. Laughter abounds, but, as a teacher, I still feel confident that students are learning. They ask when they don’t know a word a person on their card. Students justify their choices. It is brilliant.
There’s nothing traditional school-like about any of these holiday break ideas, but in each of them, students are clearly becoming more literate. These are the kind of things that make school fun and relevant. When the students can learn and still have fun, that is the best kind of education.
