Welcome to the Vocabulary Parade!

I'll admit I've been in a bit of a funk this past month -- too many obligations, too little time. I know that is a universal feeling out there among educators at one point or another in the year.

Yesterday, however, we had a great activity at school that pumped my enthusiasm back up and I'm already brainstorming ideas about how to incorporate instruction in idioms and vocabulary next year with my students. Instead of the usual Halloween based events, our school hosted our first annual Vocabulary Parade. This idea was based on the book Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier. Our students were asked to choose a vocabulary word and create a costume that would define that word. We then all gathered in front of the school and were led by the high school drum line in a parade. It was absolutely adorable!

I just thought I would share the costumes Orlanda and I came up with. Orlanda's word was "communicate" (of course!) and mind was "deduce" (a la You are a Social Detective by Michelle Garcia Winner & Pamela Crooke). Next year I'm on the hunt for a yellow trench coat!  ~ Kelley