Where's the Easter Bunny?

It seems as if Easter is late this year. That means not-so-cold egg hunts! There have been lots of years that young ladies stood shivering in dresses while gentlemen crammed their hands in shorts designed for much warmer weather. This makes a late Easter much more desirable. 

Let's get to the fun stuff of Easter--all those Easter eggs. Without doubt, coloring Easter eggs can be classified as artwork! Yes, keep telling yourself that as you mix paints and grab crayons to scribble across all those hard boiled eggs. How about blown egg shell decorations? They are so beautiful and fragile. There are also sponge decorated eggs and painted eggs. Confetti eggs are popular in South Texas and are now pre-made and sold in stores. Regardless of the method chosen, it takes creativity to make colorfully decorated Easter eggs, so give kids plenty of time--and be patient. 

One of the best things about the holiday is the Easter bunny. He's everywhere! There are tons of stories about the bunny, so take some time to let students create their own Easter tales. Take the opportunity to create small peer workshopping groups with writers and to share tales in round table settings. 

Here are some Easter writing activities to get students thinking about the holiday and sharing their ideas with others:

Spring Thaw Leads to Spring Break Learning

This winter has dealt South Texas some strange phenomenons: 

1. several separate occasions of ice 
2. a few snowflakes
3. cold temperatures for more than a few days in a row
4. a snow day with no snow
5. only 3.6 inches of rain since the first of the year
6. eerie fog that lasts all day

On these days, attendance in classes is challenging at the community college. Everyone would rather stay home than go outdoors in bad weather. Those who make it to class write in their journals about family members and friends who are enduring blizzards, earthquakes, gale winds, fires, and frozen tundras. 

"No," we agree as a group, "we've never seen anything like it." A student places a sweater over shorts clad legs while another kicks off flip-flops. 
"Yes," we say, one after the other, "our winter is not so bad...no, not bad at all...fortunate...lucky...blessed..." There are no coats draped over backs of chairs nor any gloves or scarves on the tables. 

Suddenly, a young man stands and shouts, "A Spring thaw is forecasted, and spring break is only weeks away!" 

My students spend some class time discussing their spring break plans:

"I bought tickets to Six Flags!"
"I've got rodeo tickets!"
"I'm going to the beach!"
"I'm going to the beach at Padre!"
"I'm headed to a cabin at the lake!"
"I'm going to see my family."
"I'm going to sleep!" 
"I'm going to stay up all night and watch movies!"
"I've got homework."
"I've got lots of homework."
"I've got to catch up."
"I'm hoping to meet with a tutor."
"I'm waiting on financial aid."
"I blew my financial aid."
"I hope I can keep my kids busy all week!"
"There's an online list of free activities for kids!"
"I hope there's no rain."
"I hope it's warm!"

For many students, the Spring thaw leads to a spring break that's packed with activities. But, in the backs of minds is the thought that it lasts only one week. In that amount of time, students will have logged many hours on different kinds of activities. 

When we return to class from spring break, everyone will be in their seats and ready to learn--as soon as we write about our spring break antics then share whole group. Then, I will make a list of places to go based on my students' writings. We will console, cry, and laugh as real life stories are read. 

We are learning. It may not be what's on the curriculum chart for today, but we've learned valuable lessons that can't be duplicated. And, we've become a team. 

"We're in it together to the end," says a student.  

College Readiness Activities:

FREE!!! Choosing a Major

Finding the Perfect College

FREE!!! Introduction Checklist for Literary Analysis

Having Fun with Plagiarism and Plagiarism Quiz

Help! How Do I Cite Sources for Research Essays?

Learning Styles: Understanding, Identifying, and Adapting

Accuplacer Testing Hits and Tips

Pay It Forward Valentine's Freebies

There's no better day to pay it forward than on Valentine's Day! So, with that in mind, here's some free Valentine's Day products. Go ahead and pay it forward--share the items below or share your own free Valentine's Day products with others. 

Link to more FREE Valentine's Day letters for students to write!

Click here for more Get Fit Action Story: The Vanishing Valentines

Link to more Valentine's Day Comics: Working with Inferencing, Dialogue, and Symbolism

Click here for more Wacky Wayne's Valentine's Day I-Spy

Click here for more Valentine's Day Figurative Language

More Valentine's Day fun at:
Valentine's Day Coloring Sheets
Valentine's Day Mad Libs

A Better 2014

Another year is here! For 2014, learning more about other cultures is a great New Year's resolution, and these activities help students learn more about others' lives. The more we know about others' cultures, the more patient and understanding we can be when helping others become acquainted with Western ways. Also, students are more prepared to enter the real world with its diverse population and many viewpoints.  

I've often thought about teaching abroad. I follow Heidi Raki's website, Raki's Rad Resources, and many days I'm envious at the open attitudes to teaching concepts in schools in other countries. For example, my children learned math while sitting in single rows in classrooms and rote memorizing formulas then working problems on Smartboards or as homework. But, Heidi's students learned math concepts by cooking! Measuring ingredients and following recipes produces great end results, usually. Probably, mure more than just math was learned, and consequences and problem solving skills are part of Common Core Standards. Heidi makes me want to become a student in her classroom!

Several years ago, I was on a hiring committee that interviewed one of California's Teacher of the Year. I asked, "What make your teaching different from that of other educators?" His response was, "I teach math through real life skills--for example, my students go outside and measure and plan if new construction is going on." Ah-ha! Even I could understand math if taught through real-life skills. How about learning percentages through sales at clothing or grocery stores? Now, that's my kind of math!

I teach English, so how can these skills be taught using real-life application? Newspapers' Letters to Editor columns are good places to begin. This requires research so students understand background knowledge of problems, and it requires putting together facts and using quotes in ways readers understand and make sense of them. Plus, it requires great writing skills! How about entering writing contests? I entered Good Housekeeping's contest before the holidays. Students helped me revise my introduction to make my writing better, and students listened and helped with other corrections in my essay. Students who entered the same contest earned extra credit points. 

Making learning interesting and relevant means tying it to real-life. "Why do I have to learn this stuff?" is answered. Imagine classrooms where students love learning and using real-life applications, and where diversity is celebrated everyday. Use real-life learning to introduce, engage, and inform students about the world and its unique cultures.

Celebrate Diversity and Real-Life Learning through Chinese 2014 New Year Make a Book and Activities (this product updates yearly):

A Nostalgia Tree

Many years ago, when my grown children were little kids, we started a tradition that resulted in a nostalgia tree. Of course, the tree is now a perfect reminder of Christmas' past. The nostalgia tree brings lots of smiles every Christmas!

Each year, the Christmas tree is brought down from the attic. It's covered in two black trash bags. When the bags are removed, the tree is finished! The ornaments and lights are left on from year to year. The angel is placed on the top, and the tree is ready to go. The small tree sits upon a round table nestled in the corner of the living room. A red skirt trimmed in white fur covers the plastic base of the artificial tree. There's nothing fancy about it. One strand of multi-colored lights is wrapped beneath the ornaments. Because, after, all, it's the ornaments that are the most important.

At one time, the tree was covered with ornaments from all our children. But, as each moved on and established their own homes, the ornaments were given to their makers. Now, most of the handmade pieces that are remain on the tree's branches belong to our youngest child, who is twenty-four and is to be married in May. Then, many of the ornaments will disappear once again. It will be time to fill the nostalgia tree with homemade ornaments from grandchildren!



FREE!  Make your own ornaments to start your nostalgia tree!

Ornaments on the Nostalgia Tree

 

Fun Christmas Activities

Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa's on his way! If you're tracking Santa and his reindeers, then you know he's a busy guy. Therefore, it's important to keep kids busy, too, so that Santa can get all his work done before he arrives at your home.
Here are some fun Christmas and winter activities that can keep hands and minds busy while enjoying festive atmospheres--and tracking Santa:


FREE! 
Top Ten Christmas Movies Inferencing and Logic Puzzles
Winter Holiday Coloring Sheets

Christmas/Winter Activities:
Get Fit Action Story: Santa's Missing Suit 

Santa's Fill-in-the-Blank Christmas LettersPre-k-2
Santa's North Pole Bingo
Wacky Waynes' Winter Holiday I-Spy
Santa's Holiday Headlines: Write News Stories and Headlines
Rudolph's Red Nose: The Facts
Christmas Tales to Write and Publish
Santa's Silly Saying and Figurative Language Activities
Holiday Comic Books for Student Writers 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
From,
Educator Helper