Holiday Traditions – Teacher’s Corner

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Teacher’s Corner
The following are writing prompts and discussion topics you can use to help students think about the importance of Holiday traditions.
  1. How would you define what a “tradition” is?
  2. What are two things you and your family do at Holiday time every year (for example, a special food or activity).
  3. What do you like best about those traditions? Is there anything you would like to add or subtract from them to make them better?
  4. Is there a Holiday tradition at your school? If so, describe it.
  5. What do you like best about that tradition? Is there anything you would like to add or subtract from that tradition to make it better?
  6. Do you think traditions at home or at school are important?   Why or why not?
  7. Would you like to start a new tradition at home or at school? If so, describe it.  If it is a tradition for home, share your idea with your family.
Teachers, you can use this blog in classrooms. Here are two ideas about how.
  1. For middle or high school parenting or child development courses:
    • Use the blog for discussion topics
    • Require students to research the topics and agree or disagree with what the blog is suggesting.
  2. For all courses, especially English Language Arts:
  • Use the blog for writing prompts for paragraphs, theme papers, journal entries, class starters, etc. Have students read the blog and respond to:
  • Do you agree with what is being said about kids? Do kids really act, think or feel that way?
  • Do you agree with what is being said about parents, grandparents, teachers and child caregivers? Do or should they act, think or feel that way?
  • What would be your advice on this topic?
  • What was left out of this article?
  • If you were a parent, would you use any of this information? How?
Why can this blog be a useful teaching tool?
  • Students that see connections between their coursework and their lives do better in school.
  • Most students will either be parents one day or have children in their lives that they care about, so the topical information can help them build their knowledge about children and parenting and develop a positive image of the type of parenting they want to do.
  • The new core literacy standards adopted by most states call for frequent writing in all courses.
  • Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can think critically. These prompts help students practice critical thinking.
  • Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can analyze what they read. These prompts help students practice analysis.

What do you think?

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