Trick or treat? Getting spooked!
My kitchen table getting ready for some Halloween action!
It's this time of the year once more! Halloween takes place every year for practically a week at our school. In my view, it's important for my students to learn something new about a different culture. And what's better than this opportunity of diverse celebrations. Experience taught me that Greek students find Halloween a little "strange" at first, however they eventually succumb to its magic!
My -last year's-Jack! (credits to my beloved mommy who has become an absolute expert in carving pumpkins over the years)
Younger students are usually taken aback by the decorations all around school and in the classrooms; they also declare of being afraid of the "ghosts and ghouls" and all the other mysterious creatures scattered everywhere. This is a good moment to make something clear: play with the young students, don't try to scare them. A great opportunity to do this is by starting with some arts and crafts projects. I often begin making some decorations in front of them so they wouldn't be so surprised when they come in for the actual celebration. Eventually, I "lure" them and they end up making the decorations themselves! That would be a nice time to begin something together! There is a variety of sites to get help from-there are so many of them, that sometimes it is overwhelming! Of course, you will soon get the hang of it and remember to store your creations for the next year's celebration or to bookmark sites and note down interesting ideas.
Young trick or treaters (an amature Greek version, wearing only masks)
From the youngsters to the older ones, students can get busy with activities such as card making, Halloween coloring pages, crafting, playing with flashcards and of course, watching "appropriate" spooky Halloween films and TV episodes for a classroom or even listening to some wonderfully narrated spooky stories.
Obviously, if you have never tried presenting something similar to your students, please don't get disappointed or discouraged by the lack of enthusiasm-not of the students!- but of the schools' owners or unfortunately, of your colleagues! If you carefully plan and make an organized presentation to your "boss", I'm sure that he/she will be convinced to try it at least once! I'm absolutely positive that when they'll see the students excitement, they will too embrace this celebration and make it a part of their annual program. I had never had that opportunity to do so when I was an employee, so now that I'm an owner, I have the time of my life every year! Give Halloween a chance and you'll never regret it!
Happy Halloween!
Useful links:
youtube vids:
Scary storiesAlfred Hitchcock's Ghost Stories for Young People Part 1
Halloween Songs for Kids
Five Little Pumpkins
Witches' Brew--Hap Palmer
Famous Ghost Stories
Pumpkin Feels Lonely
Scary Halloween Story
Arts and crafts, printables, worksheets, history:
http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/
http://www.mothers-home.com/halloween/halloindex.htm
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/halloween/
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Halloween/history.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween
http://www.halloweenghoststories.com/ (choose wisely)
http://seanbanville.com/2011/10/14/100-questions-for-halloween/
http://holidays.kaboose.com/halloween-printables.html
http://www.coloring.ws/halloween.html
http://www.mes-english.com/flashcards/halloween.php
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