So Thanksgiving is now nipping at the heels of Black Friday for the title of Biggest Shopping Day of the Year. What a shame. Many stores were playing holiday music to lull shoppers into a gift-buying mood when they were shopping for back-to-school, which itself now seems to begin sometime in late April. And I suspect I will be looking at next year’s summer beachwear when I run out for an additional set of candles for my Hanukkah menorah. (Though I am giving early Hanukkah a pass because its arrival is based on the Jewish calendar, and I didn’t hear much Hanukkah music at Target through September, October, or November.)
What does this have to do with you, dear teacher? Well, we all know that our students are not immune from the effects of holiday creep. The only thing worse is summer vacation creep. Each and every one of your classroom friends can feel the holidays coming, getting more and more excited about new toys, days off, visiting relatives, and more. The days before Thanksgiving are tough enough, with the excitement of travel and a long weekend looming. But now, here we are in December, three weeks out from winter break.
Do you find it an extra challenge to keep your students focused this time of year? If so, share your tips for maintaining their concentration. Each of you has a different way of handling these exciting days. Let’s pool our resources and share our solutions!
I use the holidays to teach with. It seems to hold the kids interest better.
We are studying animals from now until winter break, so I set up a center that focuses on animals that live in cold climates. I cut pieces of foam to look like icebergs and flat, floating pieces of ice. I put them in my water table, and I added animals that are found in that environment: seals/sea lions, polar bears, whales, etc. The cold-weather animal focus really does give the classroom a winter/holiday feel. 🙂