Christmas Traditions

Today in class I showed a video on how Christmas is celebrated around the world.  I know, I know...you're probably thinking, "What? How can she get away with that at school?"  (Which is an entire separate post in itself...I won't go there now.)  Well, this particular video featured celebrations of families from Scandanavia, Native America, South Korea, Mexico and Ethiopia.  Beings that a variety of cultures were being displayed, I felt confident in the safety of showing this video (Again, more feelings about this in a separate post!) 

HOWEVER, my favorite part of this particular class time was the student led discussion after showing the video.  I began the conversation with the question, "What Christmas or holiday traditions does your family celebrate around this time of year?"  This led to a very excited class sharing and innocently boasting about their family traditions...I absolutely loved every minute of it! 

There were many traditions shared from when to open presents to where "eves" versus "days" are celebrated to what is baked, cooked and eaten.  It was fantastic!  I took note on a couple of the traditions shared by my students.  Here are my favorites:

1. A stocking Advent calendar:  There are 25 small stockings (I picture the little tiny stockings about the size of a deck of cards) hanging from a piece of twine (very traditional).  Each stocking is numbered and each stocking has a little gift inside.  Like most advent calendars, a countdown takes place and each day a gift is removed from a stocking.  Love, love, LOVE this idea and I want to make my own! Where do Advent calendars originate from anyways?
2. Secret Santa or gift exchange (drawing of names) within the family.  This is WAY better then buying a gift for everyone.  Why do we by the gifts anyway?  There seems to be better reasons to be celebrating this time of year, don't you think?
3. One gift is opened Christmas Eve which happens to be "family pajamas".  Everyone in the family gets similar printed Christmas pajamas.  Sounds kind of cheesy, but I love this idea.
4. A family sporting event...football, sledding races, snowman building competitions, gingerbread house competitions....they went on and on and on.  What a fun idea! 

My family traditions...well, that's yet another post. 
Enjoy the Christmas season everyone!

Snails

I have a student in my class that is unique...very unique.  And his little quirks make me love him even more...he is hilarious, entertaining and extremely intelligent...but unique.  He is obsessed with snails.  Fresh water snails.  NOT salt water snails, as I have been informed many times that there is a HUGE difference.

At the beginning of the year I was asked by this student if he could bring in one of his fresh water tanks for the class.  My first thought was, "What a mess!"  Then I thought about it more and if a fresh water tank was going to let this student focus on school work and stay "centered" in my classroom then, "Why not?"

Many more conversations arose between this student and myself and as I listened to him talk about, in great detail, the fish and snails (again, with another reminder that they were fresh water animals) that he cares for at home I was very intrigued by the knowledge he was sharing. 

So, we came to a comprimise.  He could bring in 4 freshwater snails in a small tank that wasn't any bigger than a gallon of milk. 

The very next morning, skipping with joy and excitment, I had a mason jar sitting on my desk with 4 fresh water snails.  Disgusting.  However, they are closely monitored and cared for by this student.  Not to mention all the other students' enthusiasm about these snails have grown immensly. 

I've been looking at these snails for the past 8 weeks and the other day I noticed something different about them.  There appeared to be more....A LOT MORE! 

We have baby snails!  They are cute and fun to watch.  We have new life.  We have science.  We've had outstanding teaching moments. 

I now LOVE the snails.