Poetry Lesson Week 6

Wrapping up poetry (with a bow):
E and F's lessons were a lovely way to wrap up the unit/semester. I think the circumstances they had to deal with were realistic, and something we will all encounter before break when we teach. I thought that they both handled our giddy and at times out of control behavior, as well as conducted lessons in which they weren't they center of attention nicely. Their mannerisms really got me thinking about how I would react in a situation in which my students' minds were elsewhere, and possibly under the influence of excitement and/or sugar. I thought that they handled the situation well - i.e. didn't start screaming or give up or design a lesson centered around simple busy work. I think they only thing a teacher can do before the break is embrace it - even it's negative connotations. Pre-break is not a time to cram students' heads full of new material, but it's not really blow-off time either. I think that wrapping up a unit at this time doesn't have to be meaningless or monotonous - I think it can be crafted for engagement. Kids will be giddy, talkative, so let's embrace that. I think F and E did just that. We wanted to talk, so they let us talk - but they channeled it in the direction they wanted to go. We did activities that were interactive, but weren't simply holiday crossword puzzles (an activity I loathed near the holidays). I think we really need to start thinking bigger than Christmas anyway in this heterogeneous and multicultural world. This lead me to another question dealing with my placement at Eastern, I saw banners and bulletin boards dressed in multicultural holiday garb - I wonder if they will celebrate them in the classes? Or, will candy canes and Rudolph still be the norm?