December 2008

Ten Tips for Teachers During the Holidays

By Meaghan Burns

The holidays can be stressful especially for teachers.  Students tend to get anxious, unfocused and excited during this time. Here are some tips and ideas that you can use during this time that will incorporate your students’ enthusiasm about the holidays with your curriculum. 

1. Teach multiculturalism through literature.

 

2. Read LOTS of holiday books addressing different cultures and how they celebrate holidays.

 

3. Do a writing project that focuses on holidays and their meaning. Incorporate it into writing curriculum, i.e. poetry unit, narratives, expository essays, how to’s, etc.

 

4. Learn a holiday song or poem of the week related to different cultures and perform it at the end of the week. (This might be best for younger students)

 

5. Do a community circle that focuses on the meaning of the holidays to students.

 

6. Plan a celebration with student input. Ask students what they would like to do to celebrate as a class and what they think the class should do in order to earn a celebration.

7. Complete a community service project to help those in need during the holidays. This might include adopting a family as a class, hosting a canned food drive, writing letters to the elderly in a nursing home or being pen pals between older and younger students with in school.

 

8. Buddy-read holiday books.  Match a younger grade with an older grade and let them take turns reading holiday books to each other that they have selected and practiced.

 

9. Be aware that students are anxious during the holidays—do whole class stretches and deep breaths to calm them down throughout the day. 

 

10. Stay PATIENT and POSITIVE!  Positive reinforcement with students is more effective than negative reinforcement and will make your life easier.