Tips Archive » Teaching Techniques » Holidays

• Thanksgiving (6 tips)
• Martin Luther King Day (1 tip)
• Christmas (13 tips)
• Mother's & Father's Day (2 tips)
• New Year's (3 tips)
• Easter (1 tip)
• Veterans Day (3 tips)
• Mardi Gras (1 tip)
• Chinese New Year (2 tips)
• Halloween (3 tips)
• 100th Day of Class (1 tip)
• Valentine's Day (2 tips)
• Miscellaneous (3 tips)

Thanksgiving

Thank You Acrostics

From Jennifer Crandall, a German teacher at Excelsior Elementary School in Excelsior, Minnesota:

"Just prior to Thanksgiving, I do 'Thank You Acrostics' in my classroom. I teach German so we use the word Danke, but any language would work just fine. The kids write the word 'danke' down the left side of a regular piece of paper and think of things for which they are thankful that start with those letters. To extend the activity I ask them to draw small pictures of the things they are listing next to the word. Students will sometimes need a reminder to think deeper than their Nintendo, but the results are usually very thoughtful. I then give them construction paper to glue it onto. The activity makes good fridge art for home."

Planting Corn

From Elberta Clinton:

"To illustrate one way the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims grow crops, have the children crust chocolate wafers to resemble soil. Then, add a piece of candy corn and a gummy fish. This reinforces the idea that fish (fertilizer) helped the corn to grow. There's also a short finger play to go along with the activity.

Pull the fish from the sea.
Plant them with a seed.
Makes the corn grow way past me.
What a great little deed!"

Log Cabins

From Vera Crisafulli, a kindergarten teacher at Jefferson School in Glendive, Montana:

"To make a Pilgrim or Abraham Lincoln cabin, wash out school milk boxes, dry them and staple them shut again. Paint the boxes brown or cover them with a 2-inch strip of brown paper. The children can glue small straight pretzels that lay like logs all around the box. Next, cover the roof with a piece of brown paper and sprinkle with brown colored coconut. (To color coconut just add food coloring to it and shake it up in a plastic bag.) This makes a fun Thanksgiving project for the little ones."

Thanksgiving Ideas

From Vallye Blanton, a fifth grade teacher at Lake Park Elementary School in Georgia:

1. "I give my students a list of people or objects (President Clinton, a professional football player, Regis, Snoopy, Harriet Tubman, a Martian, a pizza pan, etc.) and ask them to write a paragraph, sentence, or a few words describing what the person or object has to be thankful for. This often leads to good discussions and has resulted in some excellent pieces of writing from my students.
2. My students keep a calendar for the month of November and every night write a few sentences about something they are thankful for that happened that day.
3. To work on research skills I give my students thirty questions about Thanksgiving. In order to complete the assignment, they must use all sorts of reference materials. I ask questions about the Mayflower's voyage and the dimensions of the ship, the number of passengers who made the trip, which President declared Thanksgiving a holiday, and many others. The students must use an atlas, dictionary, encyclopedia, and other reference materials - even a cookbook - to find the answers! This is a good activity in which to involve parents.
4. Each of my students is asked to bring a favorite recipe for Thanksgiving dinner and type it on our class computer. Then we make a cookbook to send home to each family."

Giving to Others I

From Darlene Roker, a fifth grade teacher at Vermont Avenue Elementary in Los Angeles, California:

"Before Thanksgiving each year, I let my students know that in our class we remember that however much they don't have, there's always someone who has less. Therefore, they have to come up with some way to support a contribution to an outside organization before they have their own holiday party. In the past, we've donated to a run-away shelter for teens and other organizations. We have collected cans for redemption, collected money from students, but whatever we did, it had to come from the students. I want them to feel the joy that comes from giving. Usually I ask the recipient organization to send a letter to my class that they can enjoy. Then when it's time for our party, they have the satisfaction of having given before asking."

Giving to Others II

From Heidi Jordan, a kindergarten teacher at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida:

"Each year, around Thanksgiving, I teach a lesson about helping others and how important it is to give to other people in the community who cannot provide for themselves. I ask the families to send non-perishable food items that we can give to the needy through a local organization. I have always felt it is important for the kids to know what they have donated individually, but also to see how much there is collectively when we all donate. I have had the children draw pictures of their canned goods and put them on a bulletin board. However, this year, I used a six-foot tall wooden cut-out of a tree that I have in my classroom and hung the actual canned goods and other food from its branches. We call the tree 'Our Giving Tree' and it is such a visual, concrete way for the students to see what a contribution they are making."

Thanksgiving Feast

From Kim Wilson, a special education teacher in Jefferson County, Kentucky:

"When I taught in a self-contained classroom, my students prepared and served a Thanksgiving lunch for their parents. The cafeteria staff cooked the turkeys for us, but the students and I prepared everything else. For science lessons we studied nutrition, for social studies we examined different harvest festivals around the world, for math the lessons involved consumer math, etc. The students had to make a budget to buy all the food based on money I had from a grant. We went to the store to purchase the food. The students made the centerpieces and decorations and had to write invitations to their family members. Each child could invite two people. The students also wrote an additional invitation to one staff member they wanted to join us for lunch. The families and staff members really enjoyed this lunch and my students are still talking about it three years later."

Martin Luther King Day

Holiday Songs

From Mazie G. Lewis, a general music teacher at Hyatt Park Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina:

"During my 27 1/2 years of teaching, I've always enjoyed creating and improvising songs to help my students understand and enjoy special music for holiday celebrations. I discovered that many of my very young students were singing 'Martha Luther King' instead of 'Martin Luther King.' After sounding out 'Mar--tin Luther King' several times, I noticed the rhythmic resemblance to the spiritual song 'Amen.' So I created "MLK-Amen!" Try it:

Mar--tin Luther King!
Mar--tin Luther King!
Mar--tin Luther King, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King!

Happy Singing!"

Christmas

Naming Canes

From Deborah Carswell, a teacher at Piedmont Lakes Middle School in Apopka, Florida:

"Since the holidays are approaching, I purchased a box of gourmet candy canes for my class. I mixed them up and gave one to everyone. After a brief taste test, the students wrote a descriptive paragraph describing the flavor and created a new name for the candy cane. For example, peppermint was renamed 'Christmas Snow' and cinnamon was called 'Santa's Hat'. They finished their candy canes while they wrote and I played holiday music in the background."

Gingerbread Houses

From Vera Crisafulli, a kindergarten teacher in Glendive, Montana:

"I use small milk cartons to make gingerbread houses with my students. They must be rinsed and dried. I staple them shut again and glue them to an 8x11 inch piece of heavy cardboard. I ask all the children to bring in one cup of powdered sugar and a cup of small candies, cereal, marshmallows, pretzels, etc. to share. I mix up the candies so the class has a good assortment from which to choose. I mix the powdered sugar with water until it's the consistency of thick glue. Graham crackers can either be hot glued or frosted to the sides and tops of the milk cartons to make the walls and the roofs. The children use the frosting and the candies to decorate their houses making them unique and beautiful. Frosting can be spread on the cardboard to make snow and pretzels can be used to make fences and gates. Be prepared for cleanup by spreading newspaper over the tables ahead of time. This idea also works for older children using any shape of box for the base."

Magic Reindeer Food

From Vera Crisafulli, a kindergarten teacher in Glendive, Montana:

"Here's an idea for a Christmas surprise for your children: Mix 2 cups of oatmeal with some sparkly glitter. Put a small amount in a small plastic sandwich bag for each child in your class. Write this message I made up or make one of your own and fasten it to the outside of the bag.

Here is Magic Reindeer Food
In your yard sprinkle it around,
It will help the reindeer
So your house can be found!

So use it on Christmas Eve,
It will sparkle in the night,
The reindeer will see it
And hurry in their flight!"

Memory Trees

From Barbara Kott:

"I have a group of students who have experienced the death of an immediate family member so for the holidays we make memory trees to honor their loved one. I buy miniature trees at the craft store and the students cover them with symbols representing their family member. I purchase small wooden pieces such as flags, teddy bears, musical instruments, athletic symbols, etc. The students use these to decorate their tree or they make their own ornaments. They create an explanation of their tree and in whose memory it's made on a 2" x 2" card. In our school we have about twenty students affected by the loss of a family member. Their memory trees are displayed in our hallway showcase."

Christmas Web Site

From Linda Prather, an eighth grade teacher in Kentucky:

"I have been working on a Christmas web site. The site contains ideas on Christmas Around the World and Christmas American Style. There are worksheets to use in the classroom and student writings."

Giving at Thanksgiving

From anonymous:

"When we study American Indians, I teach weaving on cardboard. People in the community donate yarn and we make Christmas ornament strips to sell to the parents. We charge fifteen cents per strip, which usually makes us about fifty dollars. We give our profits to the local homeless shelter. They come to the school to accept the check and thank the students in person. Our local paper takes pictures and my kids are stopped by people telling them how wonderful they are."

Letters to Santa

From Julie Woletz, a business teacher at Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Wisconsin:

"My project integrates high school students and first graders. For the past three years, the first grade teachers have taken their students into the computer lab to have them type letters to Santa. My high school students volunteer a few hours to help the teachers in the lab so that all students spell words correctly and get their letters saved, with minimal time waiting for help. My advanced computer class retrieves the letters and types responses to the little ones from Santa. In a small town it works well, since the older students usually know a little about the kids, and can personalize the message, mentioning a brother or sister, or the color of their house. The high school students have as much fun writing back as the elementary students do receiving the letters!"

Holiday Gift Exchange

From Sandra Brockel, a fifth grade teacher at Grace Miller Elementary School in Bealeton, Virginia:

"This will help you plan for the holidays. Many teachers have their students exchange gifts by drawing names. Instead of this, we ask each fifth grader who wishes, to bring a gift that can be used by any fifth grader at recess. They bring the gifts wrapped without a tag. At our holiday party, we have the students sit in a circle on the floor. We play holiday music and hand one gift at a time to a student who passes it on around the circle. We continue to add gifts which are passed around until the music stops. Any student with a gift in hand when the music stops opens the gift and shows it to all. We continue with additional rounds of the game until all gifts are opened. The students love the gift opening and even those who aren't able to bring gifts aren't left out. We end up with basketballs, Frisbees, nerf balls, board games, playground chalk, and even the big plastic tubs in which we store the playground toys. And the gifts are used all year!"

Holiday Shopping

From Julie Engel, a second/third combination class teacher at Redwood Elementary School in Fontana, California:

"We are on year round school and my class is off for December so I usually skip holiday stuff. This year, while struggling to teach my students not only to count money, but to add and subtract it, I hit on a really fun way to do it. After going over the basics, we planned a fantasy lunch with menus from a local burger place. I tell the kids they have a dollar amount, and they choose their lunch, then calculate the amount they spend and the change they will receive. I add situations such as 'You have $15.00 to buy lunch. Later you are going to Scandia (a local amusement park) and want to have money left over to spend at the arcade. What would you buy for lunch that would give you the most change?' (The least expensive lunch was the boy who ordered 'extra cheese' and a soda.)

I was sitting at home the other night contemplating a pile of catalogs and trying to think of a classroom use for them, when it dawned on me that I could use them in the same way. Next week we will be having a 'Fantasy Holiday Shopping Spree.' The kids will be using many math skills, such as estimation, addition, subtraction and regrouping. If your kids are already competent doing paper and pencil math, let them break out the calculators to speed things up. (I always make them write everything down even when using the calculators.) They will have to plan, organize and write about their choices and the people for whom they are shopping. I think that this will be a lot of fun, and a heck of a lot more interesting than traditional worksheets. One thing though, I don't expect this to be a quiet activity - after all, how can you shop quietly?"

Cards for Family

From Vickie Rochwick, a kindergarten teacher at Lake City Elementary School in Morrow, Georgia:

"I do a fantasy holiday shopping spree activity for the younger 'shoppers' using the beautifully colored jewelry and gift brochures we all get every day to add to our 'junk mail' collection. I have the kids create a folded card from tagboard with the words on the front "If I Had A Million Dollars, Mom (or Dad or Grandma, etc.), This is What I would Buy for You!" They cut out and glue onto the card items from the catalogues. They have a wonderful time choosing just the right diamond rings, watches and big screen televisions for their loved ones! The parents love it also!"

Writing "Checks" for Holidays

From Linda Means Golomb, a third and fourth grade teacher at Cedar Creek School in Canyon County, California:

"I have a shopping activity with my students using catalogs. We give the students a spending limit and a packet of 'checks.' I photocopy one of mine with the account number and name blanked out and the name of the school typed in. Then I teach them how to write a check. They really feel like big shots! They have to keep subtracting from the ongoing balance as they spend. Not only is it good math practice, but it gives you a lot of insight into the individual students. One bought only food-type things, another bought gifts for his family and nothing for himself."

Spending Spree from Catalogues

From Valerie Townsend, a fifth grade teacher at Flint Lake Elementary School in Valparaiso, Indiana:

"I use all those holiday catalogs for students to make wish lists and gift lists. Being a fifth grade teacher I go a step further. I have my students keep checkbooks. They earn money for their accounts by making good grades. Periodically during the year they go on a 'spending spree' using the amount of money in their accounts. At the end of the year we hold an auction of items they bring in (usually food) to close out their accounts. It's lots of fun and the parents appreciate that their children are learning about checking accounts."

Writing from Catalogues

From Mary Lou Landis, a tenth grade English teacher at Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington, Delaware:

"In December, I request that students and staff members bring in any holiday catalogues they usually discard - except for Victoria's Secret. The class then enjoys our review of the business letter format by going on an imaginary $500 shopping spree for friends and family. They use catalogues and write business letters requesting item using the correct numbers, adding appropriate shipping expenses, choosing the payment method, and including delivery instructions as specified in each catalogue. They use the business letter format, include columns, and compute the correct amounts. Interesting and fun to watch them 'shop' and enjoy this assignment."

Writing "Checks" for Holidays

From Linda Means Golomb, a third and fourth grade teacher at Cedar Creek School in Canyon County, California:

"I have a shopping activity with my students using catalogs. We give the students a spending limit and a packet of 'checks.' I photocopy one of mine with the account number and name blanked out and the name of the school typed in. Then I teach them how to write a check. They really feel like big shots! They have to keep subtracting from the ongoing balance as they spend. Not only is it good math practice, but it also gives you a lot of insight into the individual students. One bought only food-type things, another bought gifts for his family and nothing for himself."

Naming Canes

From Deborah Carswell, a teacher at Piedmont Lakes Middle School in Apopka, Florida:

"Since the holidays are approaching, I purchased a box of gourmet candy canes for my class. I mixed them up and gave one to everyone. After a brief taste test, the students wrote a descriptive paragraph describing the flavor and created a new name for the candy cane. For example, peppermint was renamed 'Christmas Snow' and cinnamon was called 'Santa's Hat'. They finished their candy canes while they wrote, and I played holiday music in the background."

Mother's & Father's Day

Doughnuts with Dad

From David Ohler, a second grade teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"To show our love and respect for our Dads, we hold a Doughnuts with Dad day in June. Students measure ingredients and prepare the doughnuts that are used as a snack. The children use language arts, writing, spelling, and reading skills to prepare Father's Day booklets. They use public speaking skills to talk individually about how their Dad is special and students use art skills to create a special Father's Day card. They also use music to sing for their Dads and we all participate in a BINGO game that reinforces skills taught throughout the school year. Our associate, our music teacher and our parent volunteers work together to help make this an extra special time for everyone."

Mother's and Father's Day Gift

From Gaye Pesout, a third grade teacher at Kanesville Elementary in West Haven, Utah:

"My students save one favorite art project each month. These are glued onto a computer-generated calendar. I duplicate the months on white art paper, add a cover for the kid's to decorate and bind the pages together with the school's bookbinding machine. The calendar runs from May to the following April, so that it can be used immediately. As they flip the pages up, there is a place to glue the next piece of artwork on the back of the previous month. I trim down the paper the students use as the background for each project so that there is a naturally framed edge around it. This calendar provides a nice gift for parents and also showcases their art work throughout the entire year."

New Year's

Technical Resolutions

From Pat Watson, a fifth grade teacher at Turner School in West Chicago, Illinois:

"To help my students review and practice using ClarisWorks after Christmas break, I have each student make a list of New Years resolutions. Each resolution has to be in a different font and a different color. They cut them out and I post them on the bulletin board. An unexpected benefit for me is the insight into where the students feel a need to make changes and improvements."

New Year Resolutions

From Kathleen McGinley, a seventh and eighth grade teacher at Park School in Alhambra, California:

"I teach 7/8th grade in an K-8 elem. school in Alhambra, California. At the beginning of each new year, I discuss 'resolutions' with my language arts classes. We talk about the benefits of making long-term goals, and the advantages of planning and documenting them. I provide them with some official-looking paper and they write down their goals (in ink, of course!) for the new year and then sign them with their full name. In past years, I collected the papers and returned them during the last week of school. They are good for reflection and for noting progress made. This year I think I am going to keep them in their portfolios! I have used paper that has the appearance of 'rolled scroll' and also 'aged-looking' paper, but the importance comes from the seriousness of the lesson."

Ringing in the New Year

From Janine P. Riggins, a second grade teacher at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School Complex in Atlantic City, New Jersey:

"In order to maintain effective classroom management upon returning to school after winter recess, I review and discuss school and classroom rules and behavior expectations. Students have most likely spent the holidays visiting friends and relatives and have gotten away from the normal school routine. By reviewing class rules and routines, students are gently moved back into the swing of the school day. Students work in cooperative learning groups and create collages of favorite gifts or favorite moments from the break. Students work together to list their New Year's resolutions. This is also a great time for students to set behavior and/or academic goals for the remainder of the school year. Rather than 'clamping down' or 'getting tough' on kids, I take advantage of their energy and excitement at the New Year and use it to my advantage! Students enjoy the activities and I am sometimes surprised at the results!"

Easter

Teacher Egg Hunt

From Deborah Norris, an exceptional education teacher at Varina Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia:

"A teacher Egg Hunt (plastic eggs filled with candy) at a faculty meeting is a great tension breaker. Prizes can be given for finding the Lucky Egg or for finding the most eggs. Teachers play as hard as kids."

Veterans Day

Veterans Day I

From Chris Weinrich, a first grade teacher at Sandshore School in Budd Lake, New Jersey:

"Here's another suggestion for Veteran's Day or any holiday. Find out where the nearest Veteran's Hospital is and send notes, cards, pictures there to the attention of the Patient Coordinator. A fellow teacher and I do this almost monthly and always receive a nice response."

Veterans Day II

From Joanie Wilcox, a sixth grade language arts and social studies teacher at Raymond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs, California:

"This tip dovetails with the Veteran's Day letters to the VFW. I have my primary classes write letters and draw pictures. Then I drop them off at the nearest Veteran's Administration hospital. The staff at the hospital places a letter and picture on the breakfast or dinner trays of patients. I have had 5 or 6 classes from my school participate in this project. The kids are so excited to know that 'real' veterans are going to see their letters and pictures!"

Veterans Day III

From Sandy Goeller, a teacher at Washington School in Valley City, North Dakota:

"For the last ten years the sixth grade classes at our school have been writing letters to our state Veterans Home. We always get some veterans who reply to the students. Some years we continue our correspondence by sending Christmas cards and Valentine's Day cards. The response has been good and the students feel good about doing something for someone else."

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras Festivities

From JoAnna Watson, a world language teacher in sixth, seventh and eighth grades at Mattacheese Middle School in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts:

"When Mardi Gras rolls around, I have a big celebration in class. The students make masks, beaded necklaces and floats out of shoe boxes. They put what they want on the shoe box floats. Most use tissue papers and scraps of material to make elaborate floats. Then we have a mini parade and games where people swap and win beads. We also do a small activity like the king cake. I make cupcakes and stick a token in one of them. The person who gets that cupcake gets to be king/queen for the day. This is a big hit."

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year II

From Barbara Pollak, a teacher at Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools in New Jersey:

"I celebrate the Chinese New Year with my class. We eat food with chopsticks such as lo mein that can be scooped up holding the sticks like a fork. Dumplings or wonton can be speared for those not yet adept enough to tackle rice or veggies. I found a great site www.goodorient.com that gives English names in Chinese characters. These characters make a colorful bulletin board."

Chinese New Year

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"Chinese New Year is coming up and our school usually celebrates different cultural activities throughout the year. The fifth grade holds a parade for the school. Each of the three classrooms makes a dragon and we have a parade to scare out the evil spirits and cheer in the good ones. It is followed by a catered luncheon and often an assembly put on by the Chinese families from our school. Frequently this includes a fashion show of their various costumes, a talk about cultural comparisons, the Chinese New Year celebration itself, and an athletic demonstration. Our fifth graders finish up the event with group reports on topics such as the calendar, the Festival of the Lights, the Kitchen God, special foods served, the Dragon and Lion dances, etc. Our students and school unite to celebrate our cultural heritages."

Halloween

Cemetery Studies

From Linda Prather, an eighth grade teacher in Kentucky:

"We are going to do what? That used to be the first thing out of my students' mouths when I told them that we'd be going on a field trip to the cemetery. Now it has become a looked forward to tradition for my students. Even students from my past classes have begged me to take them there again. Check out http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/cemetery to find cemetery lesson plans in all subject matters."

Spider on the Floor

From Audrey Hurray>, a music teacher at Perry Elementary in Perry, Ohio:

"Usually around Halloween, at least one grade level is studying about spiders. I read the book, Spider on the Floor from Raffi's Songs to Read, to my students. Then, I teach the corresponding song. I distribute inexpensive spider rings to each child that they can keep. We sing the song and place the spider on the floor, on our leg, etc. I give the children the opportunity to make up their own verses. They have a great time putting the spider in their hair, on their back and so forth. This lesson also can be used to teach spatial relationships and prepositional phrases."

Cheesecloth Ghosts

From Marie Hlavin, a kindergarten teacher at Perry Elementary in Perry, Ohio:

"To make a cheesecloth ghost, I spread out two long pieces of wax paper so that they're slightly overlapping and I tape them to a counter so they won't move. I spread out the same number of toilet paper tubes on the wax paper as I have children and I place a gourd upside down inside of each tube. I use four yards of cheesecloth to make the ghosts which I cut into 14"x14" squares - one for each child. I pour lots of glue into a large rectangular foil pan so that the glue covers the whole bottom and I add a 1/4 cup of water. My children soak the cheesecloth in the glue until it's completely saturated. Together, we open the cloth as much as it will stretch out so that it remains square. We drape the cheesecloth carefully over the gourd so that the cloth is in the center. The children write their names on the wax paper next to their project and let it dry for twenty-four hours. When they're dry, the students squeeze the gourd away from the cloth and it keeps its shape. The children glue on plastic eyeballs and an insect. It looks just like a ghost!"

Cheesecloth Ghosts

From Marie Hlavin, a kindergarten teacher at Perry Elementary in Perry, Ohio:

"To make a cheesecloth ghost, I spread out two long pieces of wax paper so that they're slightly overlapping and I tape them to a counter so they won't move. I spread out the same number of toilet paper tubes on the wax paper as I have children, and I place a gourd upside down inside of each tube. I use four yards of cheesecloth to make the ghosts, which I cut into 14" x 14" squares -- one for each child.

"I pour lots of glue into a large rectangular foil pan so that the glue covers the whole bottom and I add a ¼ cup of water. My children soak the cheesecloth in the glue until it's completely saturated. Together, we open the cloth as much as it will stretch out so that it remains square. We drape the cheesecloth carefully over the gourd so that the cloth is in the center. The children write their names on the wax paper next to their project and let it dry for 24 hours. When they're dry, the students squeeze the gourd away from the cloth and it keeps its shape. The children glue on plastic eyeballs and an insect. It looks just like a ghost!"

100th Day of Class

100th Day Celebration

From Annalee Albrecht, a National Board certified third grade inclusion teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"The one hundredth day of school can be a special day for older primary students. My third grade class stepped into the future when they dressed as if they were one hundred years old. The students wrote about the ways life might be different when they are one hundred years old. If possible, consider having a centenarian visit the class. If a centenarian isn't possible, perhaps your students can correspond with a one hundred-year-old friend. Your local historical society should be able to help you find someone."

Valentine's Day

Tracing Hearts

From anonymous:

"What better way to trace a heart than from a heart shaped box of candy? Remove the candy and save the top and bottom of the box. It is the perfect shape and very sturdy."

Passing Compliments

From Elaine Kelley, a fourth grade teacher at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School in Navarre, Florida:

"Every year in February I buy large paper doilies, which the students glue on to large red paper. Then they copy a list of the students in the class and make a small red heart for each one with a compliment written on it. They give it to the person and recipients glue it onto their doily. Each child then has a doily filled with compliments about themselves. Sometimes they are really surprised at some of the compliments, like, 'I didn't know you even noticed my handwriting,' or 'I think you're cute too.'"

Miscellaneous

Holidays on the Net

From Karen Lovell, a teacher from Huntsville, Alabama:

"Holidays on the Net, http://www.holidays.net, is a great source of inspiration and ideas for me. It's also a nice place to send students for information concerning holidays."

March 32nd

From Jere Blackburn, a Title I teacher in grades K-5 at J.W. Adams Elementary School in Pound, Virginia:

"I've long followed the custom of writing the date on the chalkboard each morning. When April 1st rolls around though, I remind myself that any teacher who writes April 1st is asking for whatever pranks students dare to risk. I solved that problem by writing March 32nd instead. It's interesting to see how students rarely even notice and will dutifully turn in classwork with that date on it. The fun comes when someone does complain to correct me and I get to say, 'Gotcha'! Happy April Fool's Day, everyone!"

Vacation Reports

From Linda Hale, a Spanish teacher at Sonoma Valley High School in Sonoma, California:

"After long vacation breaks, I hand out large post-it notes to my students and they write down something they did and where they went over the vacation. I draw a long line with hills and flatlands. Then I have students post their 'notes' to the 'map,' and we find out who traveled the farthest and what they did. I establish two far away places I suspect students visited -- for me it's Mexico because I teach Spanish -- so students can fill in between. Some illustrate their drawings beside the note with an identifying landmark. Then we share orally. This activity can work in the primary as well as secondary language, ESL classes, and as a social studies sponge."

Graduation Celebration

From Dawn DeLong, a second grade teacher at Williams Bay Elementary School in Williams Bay, Wisconsin:

"I plan an end of the year play/graduation ceremony where kids need to make scenery, have costumes and memorize play parts. I think the parents really like it. I play Pomp and Circumstance on the tape recorder, kids march in wearing graduation mortar boards, and every child has a line in a graduation speech. It also helps me wind up the year on a positive note. It keeps them focused on a particular project and always comes off great!"

Recognition of Achievement

From Carollyn Mahieu, a first grade teacher in Davenport, Iowa:

"As a first grade teacher I was in a great position to see my students succeed as they progressed through school. I kept my class list each year and as I read or heard about any achievement a child made, I would send a note acknowledging it. When it came time for graduation, I would scan the paper for names of former students. I would send them a graduation card with a personal note telling them how proud I was to see them reach their milestone in education. The class list gave me many addresses, which I checked with the phonebook to be sure the family still lived at the same residence. If I could not find an address, I would call the high school or send the card to the school for the student. I have gotten so many replies, telling me how much that meant to the student. Many times I would also get a picture. This has been a rewarding experience for me and my students!"