4 Ways To Have A Kinder, More Positive April Fools' Day



     I remember my childhood April Fools' Days with all sorts of glee. The tricks, pranks, and  "gotchas" were so fun to plan and execute. It was sometimes fun to have a few tricks played on me, as long as it didn't hurt! I didn't even mind when my teacher would innocently begin filling up the board with long homework assignments. My classmates and I would start to audibly gasp and groan and she would quickly begin to laugh with us.

     Fast forward to my first year of teaching. April Fools' Day was the worst. I literally hated it. Hate. Ed. It. It was nothing but a day of conflict, hurt feelings, and sometimes even physical fights when tricks went too far.

     As time went on, I began to warn my students several days in advance that I didn't allow tricks or pranks and there had better be none in my classroom! Of course, that didn't work well when other teachers in the school did allow them and I looked like the fun sponge.

    I've begun looking for a kinder, gentler version of April Fools' Day. While I doubt I'll change the way we observe it on a national scale, I have gathered some ideas that might help if you're looking for more positive, more loving, but still fun ways to get through April 1st each year.

Be Upfront With Your Students

     You gotta have buy-in. This will take some planning before the day. To avoid sounding like the kill-joy, talk to your students about your negative experiences with a day devoted to playing tricks on others. In your morning meetings or carpet times, build buy-in by helping them see that being kind is more rewarding than being mean or tricky. And, hey, wouldn't it be cool if we had a secret pact to do nice things instead of mean ones?

Random Acts of Kindness

     If April Fools Day revolves around playing tricks on others, think about reversing that to performing acts of kindness on people. Without turning the day into Valentine's Day 2.0 (although what's wrong with that?) challenge students to think of ways that they could simply be kind to people during the day, both in school or outside of school. It can be especially rewarding when acts of kindness are not planned and just "happen".

     It's been popular the last few years to make displays of random acts of kindness. I used a fellow TPTers heart design one year for Valentine's Day and had a beautiful hallway display. Each heart had one act of kindness written on it and the child's name. It offered lots of opportunities to share and encourage kindness.

     If you're interested, download this Shamrock/Egg Freebie and make a display in preparation for April Fools Day. You could use the day either as a culmination of several weeks of kindness or use it as a kickoff day and conclude it at the end of the month.

      

 April Foods Day

     That's right. FOODS. I found this idea during a search. It was generated by a radio person named Wes, from Lubbock, Texas. That's all I know about him, but I can really get behind an entire day devoted to food. So how could this play out in the classroom?  
     Again, be really up front about why you're doing it - to refocus attention from tricks to treats. Then, gather all of the resources you have at your disposal - especially parents who cook - and try to have a special treat on the actual day or even several days leading up to the day.

     If your curriculum allows, try to tie in specific foods. Topics like gardening, life cycles, and ecosystems could help you  lean towards fruits and vegetables. If you're studying dental health, bring in those cookies and cupcakes, then talk about the importance of brushing well.

Focused Bucket Filling

     Filling someone's "bucket" is a popular activity that focuses on giving a specific compliment to a specific person. It's a way of showing appreciation, gratitude, and encouragement. It's a great companion to anti-bullying campaigns, keeping students thinking positively instead of negatively.

     Again, use the Shamrock/Egg Freebie here. Make shamrocks and eggs available to students who want to give a compliment to someone. The shamrock/egg can be delivered in person or anonymously to the recipient. It could also be delivered to a classroom cubbie or mailbox.

     I'd love to hear your thoughts on these alternatives to April Fools Day. Do you do something similar in your classroom?

Growing Grade By Grade
2 Comments
Share :

2 comments:

  1. เกมส์สล็อต (Slot Online) ก็เป็นอีกเกมหนึ่งได้เป็นที่ชื่นชอบไม่แพ้กันและจากนั้นก็ยังอยู่คู่กับคาสิโนออนไลน์มาอย่างนานอีกด้วย pg slot โดยสล็อตออนไลน์ (Slot Online) นั้นจะมีลักษณะเด่นเลยก็คือจะเป็นรูปลักษณ์ตู้เกม หรือที่เราก็จะกันหรือเคยทราบกันก็คือ เครื่องสล็อตแมชชีน นั่นเองนะครับ

    ReplyDelete
  2. pg slot game แบบใหม่ปัจจุบัน ของโลก สมัครเล่น PG SLOT วันนี้รับโบนัส แรกเข้า 100% โดยทันที โบนัส 50% สำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ ด้วยความพิเศษของ พีจีสล็อต ที่มีลักษณะของการเล่นที่ง่าย

    ReplyDelete

[name=Pat McFadyen] [img=https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsQ2WGbGKhw/WpNrBnYYvfI/AAAAAAAATcs/Gbqf3hYwwjwX2smDpvLCmtgfWB3ur47mACLcBGAs/s1600/Pat.jpg] [description=My purpose is to support YOU and your students with practical solutions and curriculum materials that teach, play, practice, and assess.] (facebook=https://www.facebook.com/GrowingIn5thGrade/)

Follow @georgialoustudios