I don’t know about your school, but we have a two day week for Thanksgiving and we all know what that can entail… apathy. Students come to school and expect to just sit around and love asking “Are we doing something today?”
Yes, yes we are.
It was a day to not talk politics or government or any assignments. It was a day to talk. To put away our phones and talk to our classmates. To learn to listen without having to give a response immediately. To learn something new about someone who has been sitting in a classroom with you all semester. It was about the community.
I asked a series of questions ranging from “what is your favorite candy” to “what has been the biggest surprise in high school.” Each class had their own set of questions and one class even made up their own. Students sat at tables of 4 or 5 and took turns answering!
Something wonderful happened. Students who rarely speak were engaged in conversation. There was laughing and genuine eye contact. No one looked at their phone the entire hour, and I don’t think they missed it.
This is good for any day that you have low attendance or a day before a holiday where not much is going to get done curriculum wise.
What do you do for days like this?
lizevansnbct.com 