I came across a website of one of the teachers on my Twitter list. Her name is Nancy Hniedziejko. She recently posted on how she had a mock funeral for Mr. Careless in her class. She was frustrated how many mistakes were made just out of carelessness. She decided to have a ceremony to put Mr. Careless finally to rest. She even has a short video of one of her students giving a eulogy. Great idea. I need to have a funeral ceremony in my class for Mr. Justdoingthebareminimum.
Read her post here: The_Funeral_of_Mr._Careless
Thanks Nancy
Thank you so much for your Power Post! The funeral idea was a spontaneous one. At first, I thought I had put my foot in my teacher’s mouth, but the parents and most importantly, the kids loved it. I don’t know if it would have worked as well if I had planned it. Once the idea blossomed, we just ran with it. Thanks again for the mention and Power Post. I really appreciate it. Nancy
I think the best lesson for new teachers in your post is to go ahead and try new things, even if it may be a little controversial. As long as the goal is to help the students improve, then you’ll be alright, and most importantly, the kids will remember it for the rest of their lives. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Sam