Blog

December 17, 2019: Quote of the Day

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

–Antoine de Saint-Exupery

December Holidays

Some of them have passed, but consider the following:

  • December 2: Cyber Monday
  • December 3: Giving Tuesday
  • December 5: International Volunteer Day
  • December 7: Pearl Harbor Remembrance
  • December 10: Human Rights Day
  • December 21: Beginning of Winter
  • December 22-December 30: Hanukkah
  • December 23: Festivus
  • December 25: Christmas
  • December 26: Boxing Day
  • December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa

The world is vast, diverse, and changing. The classroom should reflect these things.

Open the world up to your students, show them the vastness of our national and international holidays.

The world is diverse, we never know what students actually celebrate or how they feel about any celebration. Forgo a concentration on a singular holiday, or a cursory glance at recurring holiday learning. Try to add something new–for their learning and your learning.

The world is changing, we have so much to celebrate, so much to do, and so much to learn. Change with it. In fact, go beyond this serious list and look up some fun ones–did you know National Brownie Day is in December? So is National Cupcake Day! And National Pastry Day! Think of all that you can incorporate and mix into holiday learning!

In December, holidays are much bigger and as a result are full of potential; seize this opportunity to teach and learn and grow.

Gallery & Classroom Tip #3

I recently had the opportunity to visit a teacher friend in Seattle, Washington. I saw this in her classroom and first thing I thought was: Why didn’t I ever do this?

Absolutely brilliant classroom management and classroom decor–all in one. Beautiful colorful circles–one for each person in line, all forming the line the teacher wants.

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