SURPRISE!

Surprise is a fun word.  It implies fun, fantasy, festivity, frivolity, and even maybe a bit of frolicking!  Bring the element of surprise into your classroom, your work environment, your students' homes, and even your own home with these easy suggestions:

• Establish a Surprise Friday with your students.  List the accomplishments they need to complete in order to enjoy the surprise.  The accomplishments might involve positive comments to other students, curriculum completion goals, or an average test grade (average all student grades to avoid singling out an unprepared student) of 80 or above.  Then figure out some surprises: Group game, music time, free play, bring in a guest speaker, plan a field trip together, group discussion on a fun topic, etc, etc, etc.
• Boost teacher morale by starting a simple Surprise Monday.  This might involve a raffle jar with a prize of a gift card to (shhh... it's a surprise - Starbucks), perhaps.  Put a sign-up sheet next to your first surprise explaining the system so other members of the faculty, administration, and support staff can bring in their own surprise that does or does not need to include a raffle jar.  
• Surprise parents with a Good Work card.  Make them up ahead of time with a fun border, space for a student's name and reason for the card, and your signature.  you might even send home a letter to the parents ahead of time letting them know that at some time during the school year, their child may receive a Good Work card and to be prepared with a small "surprise."  Keep track of who gets a Good Work card so everyone will get at least one of your surprise cards.  
• Plan for a monthly surprise activity at home.  Don't let your family members know what will happen - simply tell them all to be available at a certain time on a specific day.  What might you do?  Family game night with prizes (the prizes make the difference!), a short family outing to a destination everyone will enjoy, a treasure hunt on a nature walk (better than simply walking in the woods!), and a family movie night with popcorn and movie-style candy (well, maybe not candy, but that would be a surprise in some families!).

Remember, whatever you plan should be a surprise - known only to you until the event.  Hints are allowable, but don't make them too obvious.  I think you'll find that the element of surprise will appeal to everyone. Warn everyone that not all surprises will be outstanding but they will be surprises, nonetheless!

To find some activities that will surprise and amuse your students, go to my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Some of my resources are free like this one to show your students how to make a pop-up greeting card for a friend or family member:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Create-a-Pop-up-Rainbow-Card-for-Senior-Citizens-589990