[Teachldsseminary] CHAT...any ideas to add sparkle to January?....

[Daryl Gibson]

At 03:42 PM 12/5/2007, Cristine Holt wrote:
>Does anyone have ideas that might be able to jazz up January? After
>Christmas, returning to school, short days, cold weather, snow in many cases
>can really drag down a student and even a teacher. I'm looking for fun
>ideas, little things that can add some sparkle to the most dreary part of
>the winter. Thank you so much for any suggestions this wonderful list can
>provide.
>


I'm glad you asked.  Several years ago when I was a Stake Seminary 
Supervisor I came up with a list I called "Surviving the Seminary 
Solstice."   Here are a few:

-- Have a punctuality contest offering rewards for best on-time 
record each week, personal best etc.
-- Attendance challenges -- prizes to achieve a certain percentage, 
prizes if the whole class meets a goal.
-- Issue reading challenges, post charts and have accountability checks.
-- Invite special speakers
-- Invite the bishop/stake president/high councilman/YM or YW presidents
-- Family day: invite parents and siblings to compete in Scripture 
Mastery games
-- Get a substitute for no particular reason.
-- Have student-taught lessons (by teams)
-- Pick weekly themes for devotionals
-- Assign musical numbers to showcase instrumental and vocal talents
-- Rearrange the chairs or sit on the floor in camps of Israel.
-- Make a class video journal
-- Assign secret seminary pals (emphasizing notes, acts of 
friendship, compliments.)
-- Bring hot chocolate or cider
-- Institute a traveling spiritual journal. (One student takes it 
home each weekend and must record something about a spiritual or 
growth experience.)
-- Every day in the week before Christmas vacation assign students to 
bring their favorite short Christmas books to read for 
devotionals.  The reader gets a comfy chair for the duration of class.
-- As a breath of fresh air after the difficult style of the Old 
Testament, challenge the students to read 3 Nephi over the Christmas 
holiday or Easter break.
-- Make January "Superbowl Month."  Fill a bowl with challenges, 
assignments, praise, small rewards. Draw something every day.
-- Make February Valentines Month. Challenge students to find 
evidence of Christ's love in the scripture block each day and reward 
them with candy hearts.
-- March Madness month -- this is my personal favorite. Hold a "sweet 
16" scripture mastery tournament with students drawing numbers for 
their "seed" position and have them do brief Scripture Mastery 
competitions as warmups each morning, eliminating each day until to 
reach the "final four," final two etc.  Use Nerf basketballs in class 
games and activities. Have month-long attendance and reading 
challenges with rewards.
-- Daily Prophet moments. Play short video clips from conference 
talks that speak to teens.
-- You've Got Mail: have a mailbox in the classroom. Periodically 
distribute letters to students from you, parents, bishops, YW/YM  leaders.

Above all ask youself, "If I were 16 would I go out in sub-zero 
weather before dawn five days a week to sit on a hard cold chair and 
listen to me give a lecture?"

>Daryl Gibson/Austin, Texas




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