There are many days in a school year that can seem wasted. Assembly or rally days, days close to the end of the year, or those dreaded testing days where kids are stressed beyond measure and need some decompression time. In Jennifer Gonzalez’s podcast, Cult of Pedagogy, she talks about what to do on what she calls “Lame Duck School Days.”
After a brief rant about showing movies (the easy answer for these days, and one I have reached for in the past), Jennifer goes through three categories of activities to help fill those days with some fun and educational goodness.
The Low-Prep category, which has 8 suggestions, features things like writing Thank-You notes, going outside, and playing charades. Quick things you can do with minimal pain and prep.
In the Medium-Prep category, the 13 suggestions shift to more intensive activities like listening to podcasts, learning about skype and breaking out the old coloring books. (on a side note, I love to color, because I find it relieves stress and helps me recharge when I feel drained, a perfect activity to do during testing days!) A little prep goes a long way with these activities.
The High-Prep and Long-Term categories are my favorite and feature things like Genius Hour (self-discovery and exploration; independent, yet guided), literature circles (with anice link to some resources) and BreakoutEDU! These nine suggestions take some planning but really pay dividends in the end.
The podcast ends with some other resources to peruse to ma ke your own plans for these Lame Duck Days.
You can check out this great podcast and many more worthwhile listens on Jennifer’s site, www.cultofpedagogy.com. I know you will find things to Spark your interests, and make your classroom a better pedagogical and student centered haven for kids. Happy listening!
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