Teacher Truth #10: Fall is a festive season, but is it fun for all?

Don’t get me wrong, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. As a kid, I loved dressing up and trick or treating because I especially loved candy. As a teacher, I absolutely hate the Halloween season in school. What is fun for children, turns into torture for adults.

This is not after one or two, or even three years of surviving Halloween as a teacher. Oh no, this opinion is based on seven years of empirical data as a teacher, not to mention my time as an aide watching the chaos unfold every October. I have learned that every school has a different approach, a slightly different method of dealing with the inevitable sugar rollercoasters.

Wether it’s no costumes, only book character costumes, “fall” festive wear or something in between, what used to be my favorite is now my most dreaded time of school. As much as I still love Halloween as an adult is as much as I loathe it as a teacher. Have I made my point? Halloween at school includes tears, fears and every candy memory in between. If you do not believe me you clearly have never been at a school the day after Halloween, and for that – I salute you.

So I choose to lean into the insanity that is October and enjoy the glorious East Coast autumn. Something magical happens with the leaves change and sweep the ground with their own carpet of colors. Everything is changing, and changing fast and all anyone can do is try to appreciate each moving moments.

Teacher Truth #11: Find Your Fun (for every season)

The whirlwind of fall, the fun of holidays, the never ceasing to do list- it changes as the seasons pass but the most important thing is to cultivate your own moments of fun. This year, for me, I was a risk-taker and challenged my students to a zombie character game for our Halloween party. It was a huge hit and I could not have been more surprised.

During our morning meeting share, the students communicated ideas they had for the party – and I took it from there. I also, boldly, bravely, and possibly most importantly, thought about what would be fun for me and reasonable for clean up. So, did the pillow fort make the cut for this celebration? Absolutely not, but I did spend time creating a playlist for “sing along and snack time” that was a hit along with our games and pumpkin painting. I don’t know when I started thinking my own fun was not a priority, but honestly asking myself what would make the day an enjoyable adventure and then actually doing that, made the day feel much more reasonable for me.

Yes, absolutely design your classroom celebrations with and for your students. It is inconceivable that I have to state that, but with some of these teachers comments in these meetings, I feel it must be said. AND, and, and and – also design parties for the whole community including YOU.

Congratulations to another Halloween season survived. My challenge for myself and all other teachers as we embark on the holiday season is to cultivate time for our own fun -in and out of the classroom.