Merry & Bright, Bright, Bright!

Merry [almost] Christmas!!

Correction.. Merry [almost] Christmas BREAK!! Because really... what are YOU most looking forward to?? I'm definitely partial to the two weeks of relaxin'! ;)

I'm so excited to be blogging with the We Teach 3-4-5 group to bring you a fun linky with tips to keep you (and your students) MERRY and BRIGHT during this last week leading up to Christmas Break!

Kids love Christmas.

It gets them all crazy-like. 

So my tips today focus on keeping your kiddos CHILL so you can remain Merry and Bright! 

My first tip is to break out the bribes. Yes, you heard me right. BRIBES. Go to the dollar store and stock up some candy canes and pass them out to students who are making great decisions.  To REALLY get your kiddos attention, tell them if they get a candy cane they can EAT IT IN CLASS. Whoa.


Once you establish the legitness of having a candy cane, make them earn it! 

Quiet? Candy cane.
Working hard? Candy cane. 

You WERE working quietly so you got a candy cane and now you're acting a'fool? CANDY CANE GOES INTO TRASH. It only takes one thrown away candy cane to really see those kiddos behave! ;)

My second tip is to plan fun, purposeful and QUIET work. In the past, I've gotten caught up in the holiday spirit and thought, "There's no way these kids are going to work. They're too excited! I might as well just embrace the noise and plan fun Christmas activities for the last week." UH, NO. Talk about leaving after school EXHAUSTED! Now, don't get me wrong - we Christmas in my room. However, I have QUIET Christmas activities planned for Monday through Wednesday. It helps calm the cray. And you really will be able to get some quality work out of your kiddos despite the sugar plums dancing in their heads! 

Here are some fun freebies I LOVE to use (just click the pic to be taken to the product):

                   

          

And a few engaging (and quiet) spirit-filled activities from my store: 

                 

Thursday is when I finally decide to let the Christmas craziness happen. I'm talking a movie, class party and an eeeeeeeextra long recess.... But Monday through Wednesday my babies are QUIET and WORKING! Woot!

                                           

My next tip is TREAT YO'SELF! If you need some candy, forget about the guilt. Eat it. Shove it in your mouth. By golly, you deserve it. Need a little relaxation after work? Get a massage. Shoot, there are like 5 nail shops by me massage by the minute. $20 for a 20 minutes of a shoulder/foot massage? WELL WORTH IT! Saw a fabulous item in your favorite store (*ahem* Target)? Buy it. I'm all about retail therapy! You must do anything and everything to survive this week. So head out to the store and stock up on Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Trees and get your survival on, teacher! 

My last tip is KEEP THE JOY! I know my kids are going to act a little wild... But it's because they're dreaming of Santa and two weeks of no homework. I will choose to be JOYFUL even when my insides are saying, "OMG BE QUIET!"

I know I'm going to leave exhausted every day... But I also know I'm going to make sure my kids are working hard and ENJOYING the last week before the holiday! CHRISTMAS JOY!!

I actually have ONE last tip... Make sure you enter the FANTASTIC Merry and Bright giveaway from all the teachers pictured below! Winning amazing resources from amazing teachers is a surefire way to stay all merry and bright!! 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e28a76a88/

I'm giving away my Snowman Math Glyph. It's perfect to use this week OR after you return from break. It's definitely on my QUIET WORK to-do list this week! :) 

Make sure you visit all of the teachers in the link up to see their Merry & Bright tips AND add your own! How are you keeping all Merry and Bright? I'd love to hear your ideas! 

You can do it! 5 days! And here's to hoping that last day is a HALF DAY! :)

 

http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=590057" title="click to view in an external page.">An InLinkz Link-up