Blog – Page 94

December 29, 2018 Michelle Fenn Combined Grade Classes, Constant Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Inspiring Students, Integration, Learning in a Real Life Context, Literacy, Modern Learning, Use of Technology

The Almighty Meme

My teenage son is obsessed with memes. I remember my friends and I at his age, randomly quoting lines from John Hughes or Monty Python movies which confounded the adults around us but my friends and I would collapse into hysterics. I am now the confounded adult but instead of movies, the quotes are from internet memes and vines.

As a teacher I always seek to leverage whatever is important to my students in order to make language engaging and authentic. Last year I used their interest in Snapchat and connected it to “book snaps” in order to synthesize information about what they were reading. Over the holidays I played a game called, “What do you Meme?” which is an adult version of “Apples to Apples” but with pictures. Although the content was rather explicit (obviously not to be used in a classroom) and more than a little embarrassing to play with my 86 year old mother, I got to thinking afterwards about the language processing that it took in order to play this game and how could I turn it into an engaging teaching opportunity. The idea around the game itself is rather simple, choose what you consider to be the best “caption” for the meme (photo) and then another person chooses their favourite of those put forth by the players. The idea is to make it “relateable”.

I realized that there was a great deal of inferring going on while we were matching the statements to the pictures. We had to read the facial cues, look for other clues in the picture and then also relate what was happening in the picture to some kind of an emotion or shared human experience. I’ll give you an example.

“When you have beaten your big brother to the last piece of chocolate cake.”

In order to come up with that statement, I had to make some decisions. I really had to think about the photo and determine what was happening. For me, it looked as though the cat was laughing and feeling rather satisfied with himself. Then I had to think of something that would cause that reaction in someone to which other people might relate. It is rather complex thinking.

In the classroom before any writing would take place I would provide many examples of popular (and appropriate) meme photos that are being used in different ways and discuss these with my students over a period of time. What makes it funny or something with which people can relate? What about the human experience is being shared in this meme?

Then I would provide a photo something like the one above on the Smartboard for students at the beginning of the language period. Just one at a time at the beginning so that we can take the opportunity to break down the thinking. Students could then invent their own statement for the photo and justify their idea when they share it with others. In order to scaffold for some students, I might provide a variety of statements like the game itself and have them choose and justify their choice. Students could also take or choose their own photo and create their own memes using apps such as Canva or Pic Collage. This could also lead to an authentic digital citizenship opportunity with how to search and use photos that are public domain. In addition, these memes could then be shared on a class blog or social media to receive comments from others which provides feedback to students on their creations.

To take the idea of the memes further, the students could then use them as story prompts and create a narrative around the meme. I might also ask the students to create some memes like book snaps which relate to the books that they are reading. See the example below:

“When Fudge ate Dribble.”

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing-Judy Blume

A meme that needs an explanation isn’t a good meme, just like you shouldn’t need to explain a good joke. There is a kind of sophistication in the thinking process involved in the creation of memes and they connect us as human beings. Memes are this generation’s political cartoon, headline in the newspaper or funny birthday card from “The Far Side” creators; a visual paired with words that connects a shared human experience. Know what I Meme?

December 27, 2018December 27, 2018 Will Gourley Celebrating Success, General, Inspiring Teachers, Making a Difference Through Education

Best to you in all you do (an alphabetic acronym for educators)

Happy New Year! Well at least the Gregorian one. What’s really neat about teaching in Ontario is the amount of cultural sharing that occurs as part of our school calender. January 1st marks the start of 2019 on most calenders and in the spirit of rebirth, new beginnings, and good will I wanted to share a prosaic attempt to encourage you all to savour the good from 2018 and prepare to embrace the awesome potential of another new year.

Always take time to reflect on the impact you are having on the lives of others.
Being present is the best present.
Channel your energy into lifting others up and creating community in your classroom.
Dedicate to change and learning even when it is uncomfortable.
Everyone matters, most importantly you.
Forget past hurts and move forward.
Give freely of your time and resources.
Homework doesn’t have to be a worksheet.
It can be a conversation or a chance to play.
Jump up and show your students why movement is important while learning.
Kinesthetic learners need to move. So do their teachers.
Leave the answers in the back of the book to explore other responses.
Make room for culturally responsive pedagogy.
Never doubt the impact you are making on the lives of others.
Open your mind to innovative practices and take risks trying something new.
Play + timely relevant instruction = learning.
Questions are bricks to build a solid foundation in learning. They are not meant to be thrown.
Respect is at the forefront of all we do. It presumes positive intentions in everyone.
Some days, some people are going to push your buttons. See R, Q, F, and C
“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.” Robert Shuller In case R, Q, F and C don’t work.
Understanding includes everyone. We need to seek it, model it, and share it daily.
Victories come in many forms. Somedays it will look different than others.
Wonder is the rocket fuel of enagement in education. We have the ability to send our students to the moon and beyond.
Xenophobia is an enemy that can only be defeated by dedicated educators.
You are a dedicated educator who has accomplished great things and will do so again in 2019
Zzzzzz. Sleep is your friend. Rest you deserve it.

Thank you for all you do to make education awesome. It is a privilege to share with you on this platform. Cheers to many great things in 2018, the many lessons too, and to all of the amazing potential that is to unfold in 2019. Will

December 27, 2018 Will Gourley General

Bonus Blog for December

Hi. I just had a few thoughts that extend out of my previous post The best present is one you can give year round.
I thought it would work best as a two minute reminder about the wonders of outdoor time for students even when the weather outside is frightful.
Stay warm and well. Will

What’s this about fresh air?

After all of that hard work and kindness, don’t forget to celebrate a little too. When the snow flies, there is nothing like an outdoor hike combined with a game of snow tag(not to be confused with snowball throwing). Students love the fresh air and physical movement too. The time spent preparing for the elements is well worth the mental health, exercise, and class unity that outdoor opportunities provide. It’s also a great chance for your learners to see you play and having fun too. You can wrap it up by serving hot cocoa and cookies(or approved health conscious treat) too.

Although outside time is one method to gift time to your class, it is not always possible. Sometimes students become schoolbound because of extreme weather(usually cold or rain). After a few days, the vibe of a school gets thrown off. The lackadaisical attitude becomes hard to miss except in the mischief department where students seem to be able to consistently achieve. I knew we had had too many indoor recesses in a row when a student called me dad.

It is important our students maximize the times when they are able to get outside. This is never more evident than in the older grades of 6-8 where students are routinely hiding in the bathrooms or going around rooms begging to help teachers. I think we have missed something when students celebrate when it is indoor recess instead of getting some fresh air.

There is so much to learn in an outdoor setting. It is calming and exciting at the same time. It allows for movement, engagement, and wonder. It can be as simple as a neighbourhood hike, a read aloud under a shady tree or a snow fort building lesson for structures and stability. For Math purists there can be hypothetical conversations about the number of snowflakes that it takes to cover a certain area?

Thanks for reading.

December 27, 2018 Will Gourley General, Great Gifts for Teachers, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, Making a Difference Through Education

The best present is one you can give year round

https://www.flickr.com/photos/72153088@N08/6510934443 CC BY 2.0

Like many gifts wrapped up during this Christmas/Winter Holiday season, this post could take a lot of forms. Whether it is with a bow, within a kindly worded card or if it is hidden in a neatly wrapped gift the feeling of giving and receiving gifts is a special one.

Classrooms can be gifts that keep on giving

Although, traditional presents are nice, it has been my experience to savour the moments when we are able to strengthen our class community through quality time together. Long after the sweetness of a treat or period off for a movie has been forgotten, students remember being part of something special that benefitted others.

When classrooms unite for a cause bigger than themselves, that is where true giving occurs. Raising funds to support schools in need of resources, supporting clean water projects, or collecting food/clothing for local charities are all ways for students to give. The holidays serve as a perfect time to make it happen, but the need does not stop in January. So why not make giving the focus year round?

Getting started is easy. Start by setting aside a little time to gather/chat about needs and goals for giving in support of others instead of getting down to the business of learning every period. There are numerous NGOs for a class to support such as Ryan’s Well, Plan Canada or Right to Play to name a few, but in 2019 I think it would be great for us to seek justice and equitable funding and access to education for our First Nations families. Most of our classrooms are embarassments of riches in my school board. I know there is room for us all to be generous.

What if we all provided time to interact and set our minds to support a common goal? Encouragement and a space to make it happen are simple gifts that teachers can offer their students. Then let them co-create and negotiate where they want to concentrate their efforts. Your class can divvy up responsibilities such as organizing awareness parties / fundraisers / whole-school events for everyone to look forward. They can plan and host inter-grade social games to include younger and older students. This way, everyone becomes connected to the event(s) in one form or another. That connection allows the community to grow closer together as they work on a common goal. Each time students work together to achieve something or are kind to one another is like a gift that keeps on giving beyond the moment. Start small, think locally, take some time, and grow from there. Remember to have fun. It will be like a breath of fresh air from the regular learning at school.

Although this post was shared in December, its message stretches well beyond any season. I’m hoping that it will serve as a reminder of the give and take that exists in our schools, as well.And, like most gifts, it is better to give than to receive. Especially in the classroom. Keep on giving your best to everyone and in all that you do.

Thank you for reading. Here’s to an amazing 2019 at the speed of learning and life.

December 17, 2018 Kim Cousin Building Inclusion, Social Justice

December Celebrations

Why does it bother me that just one faith is represented in some areas? After, “Googling” -“Holidays in December”. I now understand. Open your minds and hearts to all in this diverse country that we live. These are just a few of the Celebrations in December…according to “Google”

Bodhi Day

Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, experienced enlightenment (Bodhi). According to tradition, Siddhartha had recently forsaken years of extreme ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a peepal tree and simply meditate until he found the root of suffering, and how to liberate oneself from it.

Boxing Day

Some sources say that Boxing Day became a holiday because servants traditionally worked Christmas Day, but had the following day off, since their employers gave them a gift following their service. Another says that church alms boxes, where people donated money and items for the less fortunate, were opened and distributed the day after Christmas creating a new December holiday. Today, many people have Boxing Day off, where it is celebrated, and the growing post-Christmas sales have marked it as a major shopping day.

Christmas

This Christian holiday in December has many similarities to St. Nicholas Day, as far as December holidays around the world go, but it has very different roots. Christmas takes place on December 25th and celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe is the son of God.

Eid and Eid Al-Adha.

Celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims usually give zakat (charity) on the occasion which begins after the new moon sighting for the beginning of the month of Shawal

The Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe

A popular Catholic feast that celebrates the belief that a man encountered the Virgin Mary, Mexico’s patron saint, in Mexico City on December 9 and 12, 1531.

Hanukkah

A special day times eight, this Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of many December holidays around the world and is celebrated for eight nights and days.

Kwanzaa

This young holiday in December is less religious and more ideological, and strives to reconnect individuals with their African culture. Created in 1966 by Mualana Kareng, a professor of African studies, activist, and author, Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. Derived from the Swahili word meaning “first fruits of the harvest,” each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to a principal that Kareng believed represented the best within communities. These principles are unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Omisoka (Japanese)

Typical activities that are done on Omisoka, or New Year’s Eve, include visiting temples or shrines, countdown parties, and catching Kohaku Uta Gassen, a famous music program show, on television.

St. Lucia’s Day

Another festival of lights, celebrated in Sweden, Norway and the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland on December 13 in honour of St Lucia. One of the earliest Christian martyrs, St. Lucia was killed by the Romans in 304 CE because of her religious beliefs.

St. Nicholas Day

On the anniversary of St. Nicholas’ death on December 6th 343 A.D., this holiday pays tribute to a man who spent most of his life helping those in need.

The Yule (Pegan)

This season is full of magic, much of it focusing on rebirth and renewal, as the sun makes its way back to the earth. Focus on this time of new beginnings with your magical workings.

December 17, 2018 Kim Cousin Behaviour Management, Building Inclusion, Classroom Management, Combined Grade Classes, Flexible Classroom, Math, Use of Technology, Using technology well

Robotics and Coding in Action

Reflections and Observations from Robotics/Coding classes…

While currently working for several days on coding plus Lego robotics in three math classes: two grade 5/6s and one grade 7/8 class, I had the most interesting experience on a recent Friday.

An assumption, as the technology leader and I were planning out the lessons and build, was that many students would get a lot of satisfaction from building the robots, before coding them. So we had the whole first day where they built the Express Bot and then dismantled them so the next group could build. It was ok… but still some bickering, and such.

The next day was completely focused on learning how to code the robots.

It was like turning a switch on. The focus, engagement and successes were amazing. Not a single behavioural issues. The one class has math every day during the final hour of school. Half the time it is a challenge to manage this class. Many of the students are identified and probably more will be in the future. These students achieved as much as the other classes, and more. They were totally immersed in their tasks and goals. They were super excited to share with each other, help each other, share with the teachers and principal. They did not want to go home when the bell rang. We were basically speechless at the end of that class, due to the changes we had seen.

Other teachers were walking by to look on in amazement as the class exhibited the kind of learning skills and focused behaviour that was not usually observed. The students were collaborating and creating their own projects. Natural differentiation was created when working with these groups, especially as it was not guided instruction. Activities like this fill me with joy to see the success of many. Today’s students, tomorrows technology experts.

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018 Deb Weston Advocacy for public education, Making a Difference Through Education, Social Justice

School Choice and Challenging Charter Schools in Canada

As a citizen of Canada, I am a strong and proud advocate of access to public education. According to John Dewey, public education reinforced a democratic community that can break down barriers “of class, race, and national territory which kept men from perceiving the full import [importance] of their activity” in democracy (Dewey, 1916).

The purpose of establishing charter schools in Canada was to increase the need for flexibility to meet students’ needs as public schools were “seen as bound by excessive regulations stemming from provincial laws, school district policies and union contracts” (Brown, & Lawton, 2013). Charter school advocates often cite the need for schools to be responsive to “the demands of parents and are places where innovative educational practices are difficult to achieve” (Brown & Lawton, 2013). “Proponents say that uniformity of public schools is a detriment to the quality of students’ education and that more choices of programs and competition among schools are needed so that ineffective schools are closed” (Brown & Lawton, 2013).

Charter schools differ in the rules that govern them. Some charter schools can pick and choose students while other schools offer lotteries. Some charter schools are essentially private schools while others received some public funding charging tuition fees for attendance.

Initially, charter schools promised better levels of education, greater efficiency in spending public dollars, and high test scores. Charter schools have been functioning long enough to assess the credibility of these promises through research studies.

Bettinger (2005) compared standardized testing in both charter and neighbouring public schools and found that “test scores of charter school students did not improve, and may actually decline, relative to those of public school students.”

Bifulo and Ladd (2006 ) found that students made “considerably smaller achievement gains in charter schools than they would have in public schools”. Further, the authors found negative impacts on student learning due to high levels of student turnover.

After the desegregation of schools in the United States, “new policies were enacted allowing school choice, charter schools, and neighbourhood attendance zoning” (Archbald, Hurwitz, & Hurwitz, 2018). The authors engaged in a 26 year longitudinal study on the impacts of school choice and charter schools showing “greater segregation by race and income among schools accelerated after the policy changes” (Archbald, Hurwitz, & Hurwitz, 2018).

Mindzak (2015) cited that after 20 years, charter schools “have held a precarious existence” as “only a handful of charter schools remain in Canada.” Mindzak cited the importance of “some of the historical, cultural, regional, and political dimensions of education in Canada” and further stated that the “rejection of charter schools should represent a continued commitment to public education and the principles of equity and social justice” (2015).

Charter schools are sometimes seen as places for the best and brightest students to learn so they can achieve the highest level of educational success. Bouridieu and Aarseth (2015) showed that school choice reinforces elitism in order to reproduce structure of status and privilege.

In the end, charter schools did not fulfil the promises of their success. Students did not receive better education and the public did not receive a greater efficiency in the spending of public funds. Note that in some cases, funds were diverted from the funding of public schools for the partial funding of these semi-private schools.

Instead of greater academic success, students were segregated based on race and income (Archbald, Hurwitz, & Hurwitz, 2018). Charter School students did not achieve higher test scores than their public school counterparts (Bifulo & Ladd, 2006). In Canada today, only a few charter schools remain (Mindzak, 2015) and thus many “ineffective” charter schools were closed.

By creating barriers to learning through the segregation of students without privilege, charter schools go against The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter)^“that guarantees equal rights and treatment based on a number of grounds, including race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability”.

The Ministry of Education (2008) goes on to state that in public education “Equity and excellence go hand in hand. … In a truly equitable system, factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status do not prevent students from achieving ambitious outcomes. Our experience shows that barriers can be removed when all education partners create the conditions needed for success (p. 8).”

Canada is unique in its commitment to public education and the principles of equity and social justice. Canada’s public education system is effective as it allows all students, regardless of their privilege, to achieve their best. Our public education system reinforces our democracy.

As teachers, we need to keep fighting for an education system that John Dewey would embrace and be proud of.

Fight for our public education … it’s worth it!

Collaboratively Yours,

Dr. Deb Weston, PhD

References

Archbald, D., Hurwitz, A., & Hurwitz, F. (2018). Charter schools, parent choice, and segregation: A longitudinal study of the growth of charters and changing enrolment patterns in five school districts over 26 years. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 26, 22.

Bettinger, E. P. (2005). The effect of charter schools on charter students and public schools. Economics of Education Review, 24(2), 133-147.

Bifulco, R., & Ladd, H. F. (2006). The impacts of charter schools on student achievement: Evidence from North Carolina. Education Finance and Policy, 1(1), 50-90.

Bouridieu P & Aarseth, H. In Maudlin, J. G., & Gaztambide-Fernández, R. (2015). ‘Private schools in the public system’: school choice and the production of elite status in the USA and Canada. In Elite Education (pp. 73-86). Routledge.

Brown, D,, & Lawton, S., Charter Schools (2013). In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/charter-schools

Dewey, J. (2004). Democracy and education. Courier Corporation.

Government of Canada. (1982). The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter)^,Constitution Act, 1982, Part I.

Mindzak, M. (2015). What Happened to Charter Schools in Canada?. Equity & Excellence in Education, 48(1), 105-117.

Ministry of Education. (2018). Reach Every Student: Energizing Ontario Education, Toronto: Ministry of Education, Ontario.

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018 Laura Bottrell General, Mental Health, Wellness

Snow Suit Stress

Can we talk about snow suits for a minute? I absolutely love teaching our youngest learners but with them comes a few months of winter clothing nightmares. I didn’t mind this so much while teaching Kindergarten, because I saw the [endless hours of] time spent getting dressed as a teaching opportunity and an important part of our program.

Now that I’m teaching grade 1/2, there is still a lot of stress around getting dressed for the outdoors. The difference is that there are other expectations, schedules and logistics that make me see it less as a learning opportunity and more as a problem.

In my class, I have a handful of students who are still learning to independently dress for the outdoors. Even with my assistance, it can take them 10-15 minutes to get ready on some days. It’s just where they’re at developmentally. It doesn’t help that these particular kids are very social and can be easily distracted. They will drop a half-on boot in a heart beat at the chance to talk to a nearby friend instead.

What also works against them is the school’s timetable. My board works on the balanced day (two nutrition breaks, each 40 minutes in length). While I love this structure for most other reasons, I can’t help but think that it serves our students a lot less in the winter months. The primary division at my school eats inside for the first twenty minutes and then plays outside for the second twenty.

Or if you’re a child that struggles to get dressed, you might get to play outside for five minutes if you’re lucky.

Oh, how I wish it were the other way around! Since it’s lunch time first, I’m often not in the room to support them during this transition. Sure, there’s a duty teacher in the hallway but they can’t be expected to support these students in every classroom.

This makes what is supposed to be a fun break from the classroom into yet another stressful transition. For some kids, this ends up having the opposite affect of what recess is supposed to do for them. They come inside exasperated, stressed and having only had five minutes of time outside. They’ve missed out on much needed physical activity, play and socialization with friends.

And, these kids are the ones that need those things the most.

I guess I feel like our timetable is letting them down. In Kindergarten, we had the ability to deviate from the school’s timetable to best suit the needs of our class. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in primary. So how can I support these kids when I’m not there? How can I help them take back their recess time and eliminate the stress around winter clothing? I’ve tried visual timers, checklists, the buddy system, laying out their clothing before lunch begins, re-organizing our hook space, and sometimes I just stay in the room myself to help them (although a teacher needs to take her lunch, too).

I’m a bit stumped beyond this. I’ve asked parents to work on independent dressing at home, but in my case, the issue isn’t so much fine-motor as it is executive functioning. Putting all of that aside, this has got me wondering:

Is 20 minutes outside really long enough for our kids to get the physical activity and play they so desperately need? Is it even long enough without the winter clothing battle? With such a focus on students’ health and wellbeing, why aren’t we seriously looking at extending scheduled outdoor play beyond the expectation of DPA through the classroom teacher?

What do you think? Do you have similar problems in your primary classroom? I’d love to hear your creative solutions in the comments below!

December 2, 2018 Shawna Rothgeb-Bird FSL, General

Motivational Mornings

One of the most frustrating parts of my morning used to be the first ten minutes after the bell. My school, like many others, uses an online attendance tracking system which requires us to log in and complete attendance within the first fifteen minutes of the day. It takes time to check whether all of my students are present as they put away their backpacks and outdoor gear. It also takes time to start up the computer, load the attendance app, and complete the attendance (twice, because we do both morning and afternoon attendance at the same time, don’t ask).

Without direction, my students take advantage of the time to get off-task and chatty right from the beginning of the day. Bell work isn’t ideal either, as it quickly becomes a chore to plan and even more things to mark. It’s difficult to plan meaningful, engaging tasks that my students can do with limited instruction or supervision.

This year, I tried something new: a question of the day written on the whiteboard before they come in, with markers in a variety of colours available for them to use to add their response to the board. The questions vary from simple questions about student preferences to deeper questions about overcoming personal challenges. Sometimes students are asked to write a message to a peer – something to brighten their day, or motivate them, or give them a confidence boost.

At first, only a few students came up to the board and added their responses. It didn’t take more than a day or two for more to start taking part, however, and now the board is usually so full that the last few students have trouble finding space to write their thoughts down. The first week or two, they were determined to find a way to work Fortnite into every answer as a joke, but now they’re more interested in meaningful answers with reflection and real thought.

Sometimes, the morning question has led to a longer discussion about current events, or a frank discussion about challenging topics like mental health, or a silly debate over whether chocolate or candy is better. As an FSL teacher, it’s also a great opportunity to challenge my students to speak spontaneously in French. It’s informal, relaxed, and about personal topics, so I’ve found that even my more reluctant speakers will take part. Overall, it’s been a highly rewarding routine to put in place.

If you’re looking for question ideas to do something like this in your class, check out the hashtag #miss5thswhiteboard on Instagram. She has many wonderful ideas!

November 30, 2018 Tammy Axt General

One Sore Throat and Two Stomach Flus

Today in my class, I have one really bad sore throat and two of the ERFs in my classroom are off with the stomach flu.

So, I thought today might be a good day to talk about personal wellness.

We are coming up to the last three weeks of school before the break and these three weeks tend to be the most demanding. The students will be extra anxious, excited, emotional and generally demanding of your time and energy. The problem is after report cards, interviews, IEPs, referrals, ISRCs etc., we are all pretty run down by this point in the year.

There are many ways to make it through December with a smile. Some of my favourites are:

Do an activity with a colleague. Put two classes together and work together to support your students. Having a team approach to deal with extra behaviour from students can take the pressure off of being calm and patient all day long.
Plan activities that don’t require you to take marking home. Try to get all your marking done in class. Commit to taking anecdotal notes about rich conversations as opposed to marking assignments after school. For writing, do an assignment that requires writing conferences as assessment. For Math, get into some amazing Marion Small rich tasks and capture everything in the moment. The less you have to take home, the more time you have to recharge in the evening. You need to stockpile the energy this month.
Get outside. Do a couple of lessons in the great outdoors building structures out of snow, balloon races or making some art out of found objects. Extra time outside can really have an impact on all those high emotions and can help students burn off some energy.
Take time out for laughter. Yesterday, a bunch of my friends and I went out and did an ugly Christmas sweater run. It was great to get out and laugh A LOT. We took crazy selfies all over town and cars were honking at our silliness everywhere we went. I know many of you have a whole bunch of gifts to buy and food to prepare and family to host but somewhere in there find time for laughter. It can be the best self care there is.
Make rewards more immediate and obvious for the students. I sometime up the reward time in my class in December to help the students stay focused and on task. I have posted the letters F-r-i-d-a-y-F-r-e-e-t-i-m-e at the front of the room and tell the kids that each letter represents 10 mintues. I remove letters based on if students are not following the rules.
If emotions are running high, have students do some independent work. Give them a break from doing their work and using their social skills at the same time.

All in all, I love December and all the celebrations that happen at this time of year. But this month requires you to take one deep breath and take care of ourselves!