Happy May 5, better known as Cinco de Mayo! On this day, Americans all over the country organize festivities to celebrate the Mexican culture.

Teachers know that, when celebrating Cinco de Mayo, It is very important to give students the accurate facts about how this holiday came to be. For example, did you know that Cinco de Mayo is not a national holiday in Mexico? Important as the date is to their history, this celebration is more widely observed in the United States and other parts of the world by the Mexican people. Of course, people in the town of Puebla in Mexico enjoy this festive event since the date is very significant for them.

For more information on the observation and significance of Cinco de Mayo you can take a look at the following websites:

About.com
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/thehistoryofmexico/p/10cincodemayobasics.htm

History.com
http://www.history.com/topics/cinco-de-mayo

Research Maniacs
http://www.researchmaniacs.com/Mexico/CincoDeMayo.html

Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy this festive holiday that celebrates the Mexican culture!

Educator Astronauts Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger (left), Ricard Arnold (center), and Joseph Acaba (right). Photo credit: NASA

The recent solar eclipse has renewed an interest in all things that occur in space. In addition, NASA has just concluded this year’s annual celebration of Space Week, which took place from April 6—13, 2024. During this celebration, teachers throughout the country explore a variety of lesson plans and hands-on experiments that teach STEM concepts in the classroom. Through these educational experiences, teacher provide their students with authentic content, hands-on inquiry-based experiences, and partner-driven collaborations. All of these events remind me of our nation’s Educator Astronaut program.

The Educator Astronaut Project is a program sponsored by NASA to educate America’s students about space exploration. Inaugurated in the 1990s, the program advances the objectives established in the original Teacher in Space Program from the 1980s. One of these objectives was to elevate teaching as a profession, and another was to inspire students to pursue careers in science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM). Another of the primary goals of the project is to give educators the skills and knowledge to use NASA-related content in their classrooms.

Educator astronauts are teachers, but they are also fully trained astronauts who fly aboard spacecraft as full-fledged crew members. They have duties and responsibilities that are the same as any other astronaut. In addition, they prepare lessons and demonstrations about space exploration for students in America’s classrooms.

To date, there have been four teachers who have been trained as educator astronauts. These teachers are Barbara Morgan of Montana; educator Joseph Acaba of Florida; Richard Arnold of Maryland; and Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger of Washington. New Hampshire educator Christa McAuliffe, the first participant in the Teacher in Space program, was classified as a civilian member of the crew. Tragically, she perished along with six astronauts in the space shuttle Challengerdisaster in 1986.

To read more about teachers in space, click on this link to Citizens in Space.org. To read more about the Educator Astronaut Project, click on this link to Revolvy.

Looking for some funny pranks to play on your students on April Fool’s Day? Something new that you haven’t done before? Your students will enjoy a harmless April Fool’s prank because they provide a break from their normal, more serious routine. A funny prank signals that the teacher loves to put some humor into the serious business of learning. Get in on the fun on April 1 with one (or more!) of these good-natured pranks.

Humorous Announcements:

Make humorous announcements every hour on the hour. These could be fictionalized scenarios or jokes. For example, “I’ve just received word that everything for lunch will be pickle-themed. Banana pudding, banana smoothies, and meatloaf with banana.” If your students ask why the day is banana-themed, you could answer,  “Because students find bananas very a-peeling!”

The Old Lollipop Switcher

For this April Fools’ prank, simply unwrap a spherical-shaped lollipop such as (Dum-Dums), replace the candy inside with a Brussels sprout, and then re-wrap the treat to present to your unsuspecting students. After you have all had a good laugh, celebrate with real lolliepops.

The Old Fake Foot Exam Gambit:

For your elementary school students, tell your class you are having a visit from the school nurse, who will conduct a foot exam. By now, students have participated in numerous health exams, such as hearing tests or eye exams. Today, they will have a “foot exam.” For this drill, tell the students to take off their shoes and socks, roll up their pants, and sit on top of their desks. Then they have to clean their feet in a very specific manner. Make it as silly as you dare. They can spend several minutes  on their desks, while you compliment their feet, before you tell them “April Fools!”

Want more suggestions?

Want some more suggestions? Click on this link to 17 humorous pranks published by We Are Teachers.