It is that time of the year…Halloween! Students are excited, even hyperactive and the days leading to and just after Halloween can be challenging for teachers. Here are some ways to enjoy the holiday while remaining sane amidst the sugar rush.
Know your schools Halloween conventions and protocol.
Does your school celebrate Halloween or attempt to minimize it? Some schools go all out with a Halloween parade in the gym and classroom parties. Middle schools and high schools may have bonfires or special pep rallies. In some schools, teachers plan special activities for a portion of the day but follow regular routines the rest of the day. In some schools, teachers and students dress up in costumes, in others they do not. Find out the expectations and then plan accordingly. You don’t want to be the only teacher to show up in a costume in a school that discourages holiday participation.
That said, in most schools, you can incorporate holiday themed activities into your classroom.
Have fun with it.
Students are going to be thinking about Halloween, you might as well enjoy it. Play haunting music during clean up time. Dress the classroom skeleton in a costume. Tell a Halloween joke. Put fun graphics on handouts or on the white board. Decorate your door (I dare you to come in…) or let students decorate the room. The promise of some time to decorate the room is often a great incentive to get students to focus on doing regular classwork the rest of the day.
Incorporate Halloween themes and words into your lessons.
Take a cue from our friend Esmé Raji Codell , author of Educating Esmé: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year. Among the subjects Esmé teachers are: “Puzzling” (math), “Mad Scientists Time” (Science), and “Time Travel and World Exploring” (Social Studies.)
Perhaps for a week you could teach “Mysterious Mystery Solving” or “Gory Grammar.” Could you devise a science lesson to take place in “Frankenstein’s Lab?”
Most teachers and students enjoy reading Halloween and fall themed stories. Older students might read classic Halloween literature such as A Tell-Tale Heart or “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Most students enjoy reading thrillers or mystery short stories. Build fluency by having student practice and perform a Reader’s Theater show with Halloween themed poems.
Let students learn and practice research and presentations skills by researching the origins of Halloween or on the symbols such as ghosts, vampires and bats. Students could research in the days before Halloween and share oral presentations on the actual day.
Here is a great word list to incorporate Halloween themed words into your classroom activities.
Remind students of expectations.
You don’t have to be a killjoy, but you will need to remind them and expect them to adhere to previously established expectations. Sometimes a quick reminder is all you need. Here is one possible script:
I know you are all excited and that this is a fun week. We can all still work hard and learn a lot. I have some fun things planned for us, but I need you to promise that you will continue to follow the expectations and rules we have already agreed upon.
Be sensitive to students’ needs.
Some families do not celebrate holidays or allow their children to partake in holiday themed activities. In most cases, parents will have discussed this with you ahead of time. One way to accommodate all children is to use secular themes. Rather than celebrating Halloween by having first graders count pumpkin seeds, you can talk about fall and harvesting fall foods while counting pumpkin seeds.
If your school does allow Halloween activities, make sure that activities and costumes are developmentally appropriate. Some children are easily frightened by scary costumes. Older children may enjoy a scare, but be sure it is safe for them to opt out. Make sure that there is no real violence or threat of real violence. Most schools ban costume props such as guns, swords and knives.
Use Halloween as an opportunity to talk about bigger issues.
Many students will participate in Trick-or-Treating. This is a natural time to talk about safety. Halloween also offers an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills. Younger students can discuss the difference between real and imaginary or fact and fiction. Older students might grapple with ideas such as how do our looks affect how we are perceived by others? What do Halloween costumes tell us about gender stereotypes? What is the economic impact of Halloween? Are there real things that can take over our brains?
The weeks around Halloween can be challenging, but with a little planning you can be a conquer the classroom like a teacher warrior!
Wishing you Halloween fun,
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