Thanksgiving is an incredibly underrated holiday. In retail, we jump from Halloween straight to Christmas, and that seems unfair.
I love Thanksgiving time in the classroom. My 2-year-running tradition is to make a giant turkey for our hallway bulletin board for the school to enjoy. As with all of my bulletin boards, they are kid work-centered. And for Thanksgiving, it is always a beautiful expression of what the kids are grateful to have been blessed with.
We start with a discussion about Thanksgiving and what it means. What does "thanks" mean? And what does "giving" mean? So how can we give thanks to God and our families on this day, and every day?
Last year the kids decorated the feathers on our turkey and wrote what they were thankful for on the back. But this year, I wanted it to be less about the craft, and more centered on the gifts we've been given. So this year, the kids were given 3 strips of brown paper to write down the things they are thankful for on (by copying from the list we had brainstormed, or using inventive spelling to come up with new ideas). When they were done with those three, the kids had the choice to write 3 more, or be done and move on to another activity. Every student asked to write more things down. It was pretty remarkable.
As the kids did eventually all move onto another activity, I sat and turned their strips into a paper chain, which we looped all together and turned into the body of the turkey. Then, the kids got to make hand print feathers for the finishing touch.
As you come in for conferences this week, be sure to take a look at our masterpiece. Admire, for a minute, how excited the kids were to acknowledge everything they are thankful for. And then, consider the many amazing things in your life which you have been given.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy the time with your families.
I love Thanksgiving time in the classroom. My 2-year-running tradition is to make a giant turkey for our hallway bulletin board for the school to enjoy. As with all of my bulletin boards, they are kid work-centered. And for Thanksgiving, it is always a beautiful expression of what the kids are grateful to have been blessed with.
We start with a discussion about Thanksgiving and what it means. What does "thanks" mean? And what does "giving" mean? So how can we give thanks to God and our families on this day, and every day?
Last year the kids decorated the feathers on our turkey and wrote what they were thankful for on the back. But this year, I wanted it to be less about the craft, and more centered on the gifts we've been given. So this year, the kids were given 3 strips of brown paper to write down the things they are thankful for on (by copying from the list we had brainstormed, or using inventive spelling to come up with new ideas). When they were done with those three, the kids had the choice to write 3 more, or be done and move on to another activity. Every student asked to write more things down. It was pretty remarkable.
As the kids did eventually all move onto another activity, I sat and turned their strips into a paper chain, which we looped all together and turned into the body of the turkey. Then, the kids got to make hand print feathers for the finishing touch.
As you come in for conferences this week, be sure to take a look at our masterpiece. Admire, for a minute, how excited the kids were to acknowledge everything they are thankful for. And then, consider the many amazing things in your life which you have been given.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy the time with your families.