Laughing All The Way!


Read some funny Christmas stories and get some great teaching ideas for the holiday season in your middle school classroom!  #Christmas #teaching


My funniest Christmas story happened when my boys were about 5 and 6 years old.

It was Christmas Eve and I was putting the boys to bed when as we were saying our prayers, we heard heavy footsteps on the roof!  My youngest son immediately pulled the covers over his head and exclaimed "Skip my prayers, Mom!  He's here!"
"Oh no!" wailed my older son, "We're not asleep!"
"Just cover your head like me!" the younger one whispered emphatically.

I ran to the front door and swung it wide open so that the jingle bells on the doorknob rang loudly.  Then I yelled out into our front yard "Oh Santa, the boys just went to bed!  Could you please go to Ali's house across the street first and come back here afterward? (pause)  Oh, thank you, Santa!  I'm sure the boys will be asleep by then!"

Having fun with Christmas is one of best feelings for me!  And I love experiencing this feeling in my classroom too!


Then, I ran back to the boys' bedroom and said "Santa said he'll come back in a little bit!  You'd better get to sleep!"  They both pulled the covers over their heads and giggled nervously.

Then my husband appeared in the living room, back from the roof, asking me if I realized how loud I was yelling into the night.  
He was fairly sure the neighbor kids heard me and probably none of the kids on our street slept one wink that night! 


Want to have some great holiday fun in your classroom?  Have your students share their favorite personal holiday stories!


My students love it when I share personal stories (like the one above) with them and they love sharing stories back!  To do this, I ask students to share their favorite personal holiday story in their journals.  This is great because students can write about ANY personal holiday story they have at this time of year.  Plus, when we share our stories, we tighten our bonds as a class.  Not to mention that we usually get a good laugh or two out of these stories.  

Then, the stories become a great lead-in for when we read "A Christmas Carol" because I tie all the stories together with common themes.  And since I really focus on the theme of giving, I am giving away this freebie:


Play ZAP with your students to review the plot of A Christmas Carol!


When we read "A Christmas Carol", it's fun to write from various character perspectives sharing our stories as those characters.  Not only is it great for point of view, but it's all about the sharing.  Students love this concept because everyone likes to be heard.

If you love this story as much as I do and plan on teaching the play version this year, you might want more than just a game:

This resource for the play version contains:  ★ Discussion questions for all 6 scenes ★ Cornell notes for each scene (with answer key) ★ Plot diagram questions (guides) for each scene.  ★ A full size blank plot diagram ★ A compare/contrast graphic organizer so you can compare the play version to the video version. I suggest using the Muppets Christmas Carol. ★ A multiple choice & short answer test with answer key ★ An essay assessment option with outline and checklist


Get it here:



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