This week students have been bringing in items for our party. What kind of party? Well...what can I call it? I say it was a Halloween party. This is one confliction in the teaching profession. What can we do with students for holidays?
When I was in elementary school we came to school dressed normally and at the end of the day we dressed in costume. We took time to change and put on makeup and facepaint. Parents volunteered to assist students is face painting and at the party. We paraded around the neighborhood and had so much fun. Our parties had cupcakes, chips, and vegetables. Christmas involved a mini Christmas tree and treats given by our teachers.
So, why the change? Religion? Health reasons? Simply something to argue about? Here are my thoughts. If one parent disagrees based on their religion to holiday events, all students are penalized; I have witnessed this. Laws are passed because of the obesity rate in states, but I don't think two parties a year leaves schools to blame. Finally, I feel that one person argues and it snowballs to other parents.
Kids want to be kids. Let them.
Last week we switched classrooms, much like they do in a middle school setting. We made skeletons out of macaroni (science), learned bat facts and made bats (science, reading), and read pumpkin stories and wrote contrasts and comparisons (reading). We used Halloween themes, but made them fall into a "fall" theme with a parallel of learning. At the end of the day the school allotted 30 minutes for students to party. Most classes did call this a Halloween party, but again certain classrooms had to censor the labeling.
I had spoken to other interns about this very issue. Some of their schools did not allow anything for Halloween; other schools allowed students to dress in costume. Will schools across the country ever conform to one idea or will it continue to be a school to school choice?
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I commented again on Week 9!
ReplyDeleteYou raise such great questions. Actually, questions we, the teachers, ask, but never get the same answers. I have taught at 3 different schools, and ALL had different interpretations of what should go on during "Halloween". It was one extreme to another - Parades, only 1/2 hour party, "Fall" party with healthy snacks, candy, or no candy. Yes, we have received the state wide memo about healthy foods, however, I have never seen or heard anything from the state about holidays. To be honest, I feel it has become what the principal interprets to us, the staff. It's like anything else, some follow the rules, interpret the rules differently, make up their own rules, or don't care about rules.
ReplyDeleteI have learned no matter what the rules, just somehow make it a special day of learning without a lot of bells and whistles. :)
The issue about holidays, food - might be a question to ask principals who i/view you, as all states, districts, schools have different policies.
ReplyDeleteyou'll also discover that all these have different ways to get a job - this will make u crazy so you'll need to do some homework on jobs i the spring, along with everything else you'll be doing.
big picture reminder: you're getting great experience at Watson. So soak it all up. You'll end up with more questions than answers, but when that principal i/views you, you'll be up on "school." Big picture is important now, Kimberly, as it will keep you sane and on target, focused, and paying attn as well to the details in your school AND your program.