Stay Sane for the Holidays!

So I’ve been reminiscing lately, thinking about all that transpires in a classroom between Thanksgiving and Winter break.  It’s such a jam-packed time, there’s so much you have to accomplish.  Grading, assessments, report cards, not to mention keeping up with all the stuff you usually do on a regular basis.  All this is coupled with the fact that the last place you want to be is at work and kids are crazy during holidays.  Any holidays.  They go insane. Then you go insane.  And this happens:

This is my #1 tip for not going insane yourself during the holidays:

Make sure to overemphasize the fact that you expect rational behavior.  I know this sounds super awful of me, but here’s how I make it happen.  I’ll print out strips of paper that say “POLAR EXPRESS” or “HOLIDAY PARTY” or something like that, whatever is the theme of the season.  Then I have my kiddos earn letters with good behavior.  When I catch them doing the right thing, or going above and beyond, or showing any kind of self-control, I tell them to color in a letter.  When all the letters are colored in, they get to participate in the party/movie/whatever you do the day before the break for your kids to do while you finish report cards.  Gosh, that sounds harsh now that I wrote it out, but it works. 

Here’s my favorite example of this at work.

I did a train unit to lead into a Polar Express (here is a little part of it!) unit for a few years.  My first year trying this out, it was fantastic.  Like, FANTASTIC.  I felt like a genius.  But despite the greatness of what was happening, my kids were getting a little out of control.  Can you blame them?  It was almost Christmas.  That’s when I came up with the “earn the party” idea.  Worked like a charm. 

But there was this one student (I mean, there were a lot of them, but this one sticks out), this one that was just not going to get on board.  I kept giving him little reminders, “If you’re going to keep acting a fool, this is going to be the consequence.”  I guess he thought I was bluffing, but I was not.  Weeks later, when the time came for my class to join the one across the hall to watch The Polar Express, he did not have the quota of letters earned.  Lo and behold, I was not bluffing.  He was astounded, and that quickly turned to anger.  But I was not backing down.  I’m tough.  That was one of the most intense expressions of anger I’ve ever witnessed.  He spent about 30 minutes growling at me from his desk, then he put his head inside his backpack for a while, and growled from there.  Eventually, he was ready to talk about it. 

“I want my Hawaiian Punch back,” he said. 

“I’m not sure I understand,” I replied.  I had no clue what this meant.  Maybe 

Hawaiian Punch is a slang term I haven’t picked up yet. 

“I brought Hawaiian Punch for the party.  I want it back,” said through gritted teeth.

“Ah, ok.  Tell me why.”

“If I’m not going to the party, it’s not going to the party.”

“Fair enough, you can have it back.”  I think that’s pretty reasonable.  I liked his logic, and he explained it well.  So I went with it. 

I tried the “earn the party” tactic again for the end of the year party.  Guess who was the first to earn all their letters…

Good luck to you all, I hope you survive the season!!!

Jodie