One on the benefits of a school schedule that runs until a mere four days before Christmas is that it allows for a built-in excuse that is like the sound of music to the ears of a procrastinating shopper- why shop today for what you know can be bought tomorrow? That's what Christmas eve is for anyway.
As I sit in my favorite coffee shop (shout out to Coffee Culture), avoiding the stores and malls, I found something else to do that doesn't involve the exchange of cash- blogging. A quick glance to the calendar tells me that there are three more days to get the few presents that my family allows me to be responsible for. Before you get the idea that I don't like Christmas, let me set the record straight- I love Christmas, just not the attendant shopping that comes with it.
I said as much to my students on the last day of school before the holiday break. I told them that I love Christmas carols, the sweets and treats that come with the season, and of course the movie classics that run during this time of year. You can imagine their surprise when I told the class of grade eight boys and girls eagerly anticipating a holiday-themed penultimate class following a Christmas lunch that we would be having none of that stuff in our remaining period. Instead I promised them a portion of the greatest gift that a teacher can give- the gift of learning.
Lest you think that I am some sort of classroom grinch, I told them that like all Friday afternoon classes (about once every two weeks in our schedule) they would have the freedom to work on whatever school-related project or assignment they chose. This is always a popular choice and usually a productive period. Throw in the statutory Red and Green day color, festive hats, some seasonal snacks and the students were relaxed and eager to show their stuff once they got over the initial shock that we wouldn't be watching Elf for the umpteenth time in the seasonal run-up to the 25th of December.
We had been working on two very interesting units (honestly,ask the kids) focussing on the IB MYP units of study- How People Come Together to Form Nations (Humanities) and The Power of Words (Language A). Two boys who were awaiting their transportation to head back to China for the holidays eagerly shared their work on how Hong Kong was returned to the People's Republic of China. Another pair with a European background compared the origins of the formation of Italy with Canadian Confederation. Quite interesting.
Others were keen to show how Instagram can be used to enhance descriptive writing. A few tackled a vocabulary lesson and then a really interesting event occurred. One student shared her personal work on a blog (and v.blog) that she is creating to bring awareness to the issue of teen depression and relatedly, bullying. Although only tangentially related to our units of study, the presentation sparked an excellent discussion about issues that all 13-14 year olds have an opinion on: self-esteem, fitting in, acceptable, exclusion, and mean kids.
While it wasn't foremost in their minds, the discussion was very much related to the unit of study on the Power of Words, and even spoke to the kind of society (nation) that we wish to form as a people. They just had plenty to say about the hurtful nature of bullying, the pain of exclusion, and the challenge of fitting in that every adolescent faces. There wasn't a person in the room who didn't have something to say about the topics being presented, and before you knew it, time was up.
To me the entire episode underscored the power of student choice, making work relevant (and rigorous), and having fun in the classroom. All on the eve of Christmas holidays. Lessons learned, and then it was time for eggnog and seasonal fun. Made me feel so good to be an educator that I might even splurge on some shopping... when I get around to it.
