I will admit to not being the most patriotic teacher in the nation. In fact, I'm the kind of person who stands in respectful silence while the pledge is being recited, after coming to the realization that it didn't feel good to pledge allegiance to just one country. I spend time working with my staff on activities that build conflict resolution skills, hoping that small steps will work towards having a more peaceful world.
But the patriotic holiday that I embrace wholeheartedly is Veterans Day. I have deep respect for and want to honor the men and women who have chosen to give their time and sometimes their lives for our country.
I think that my school does a great job celebrating Veterans Day each year. We put up stars in our halls celebrating the veterans in our lives as one massive "Wall of Honor," and I help one teacher put on an extended 30 minute television broadcast on our closed circuit television system. You can hear a pin drop in the school when our program goes live. I know that it makes the students who's parents are in the armed forces feel very supported by the fact that we honor their family.
I've put a few free activities on my Teachers Pay Teachers store but I wanted to hear from other teachers about what they do to celebrate this day and other patriotic events. Teaching about our country and how to be a good citizen in this nation IS very important but it is also important to find a way to do it that feels comfortable to the teacher. I think that this a very difficult balance to create.
So I'm creating my FIRST EVER LINKY PARTY to see what other people are doing in their classrooms to achieve this balance. Join me by putting a link to your citizenship or patriotic holiday lesson plan below!
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