Could just be a class party if you wanted

to celebrate the end of the quarter.
We like to make it an achievement party.

And again, I've seen that it works.

The first one, we let everybody
come so they know how fun it is.

After that, they have to earn it.

And we have three different levels.

The first level is they have to have an 85%

or higher in every subject,
so they have to have a B or better.

And in every single subject.

So if they have an 84 in one subject—
and what we do for that is we give them

little checks along the way—after
three weeks, after six weeks—

so they know.
And that way they're not all of a sudden

they get the report card
and, "Oh no! I didn't know!"

They know. They know ahead of time
and they can attain toward that.

The second level is if any of the students
are in any type of learning or resource room

or they've had some difficulties,
they need to have a 77% or above.

They need to have a C average because
for them that's working really hard.

And it's an achievement party.
We want them to achieve.

And so we feel like they have
to work hard to get that C.

Then that's their level.

And then the last level

is some of the students just
really, really struggle.

And they've had all the testing, and
they're getting all the help they can.

And they still,

no matter what we do or they do,
they still get a 30% or 40% on a test.

They're trying really hard.

They're in resource room.

They're getting private tutoring,
but they just can't pass.

And our goal for them is you have
to turn in every single assignment.

If you have one incomplete, then you're
off because, for them, that's achieving.

So you can either have
just the whole class:

"We're going to celebrate
the end of the quarter.

We do it at the end of every quarter."

Or you can set the different
levels like that.

And really,

I try to pick something from history.

If it's a world history year,

I will usually do the country,
like we had a Chinese one

or we'll do a travel one where they go

to different countries
or something like that.

But we try to make it more
from that time period.

We even did like a diner one year,

like for the 50s and 60s where the staff—
and again, we always serve them—

we make it kind of fun.
They have to be polite.

But we put on poodle skirts and roller
skates, and we're serving them hamburgers

and stuff. And we always have
some activity with it. But anyway,

so those are just some ideas,
and I'm willing to share all my ideas

and menus and everything
if anybody wants them.

But all you got to do is
come up with your theme.

And again, usually I've got two or
three ideas out of my history book

that I'm teaching, and I grab
my sticky note and write, "Mongolian party."

So research the food.
What food did they have?

And some of the first ones we do
are just like a Mexican party.

And we just have Mexican food.

Get a few decorations.

We hang a pinata up,

maybe make some of those tissue balls.

You buy the tissue paper for a dollar,

make flowers out of them,
hang on the ceiling.

Some games.

We try to find a game from that

culture or from that time period,
and that can be a little bit challenging.

But again, different staff,

usually somebody will help with the food,
a parent or a teacher.

I'll usually come up with the
costumes and the decorations.

Another teacher
will come up with the games.

So we kind of divvy it
out that way. And then

costumes, and these can
be so easy and so cheap.

People think they have to go
buy million dollar costume.

You don't. You can go to a thrift store
and find whatever you need and maybe

get

from the remnant pile at the fabric store,
a sash or something like that.

That is something else I look for at thrift stores

stores. If there's anything that looks
like it's from a different country

or graduation robes,
you can get those for a dollar.

And they're just these long black robes.

And then you stick a sash around your head
with something and you're a Bible guy.

And then if your school board will permit
it, play some music from that time period.

And again, we always make sure at one time

we even found hymns
that were from this culture.

But research and just get
a couple of songs and play.

If you play that music in the background,
you have some decorations up. The staff,

the teachers are dressed up,

serving them food,
and you've got some tacos or whatever it

is from that culture or
from that time period.

And then you play a game, and it's
a wonderfully fun evening.

It's educational.

It gives them something
to look forward to.

They will ask me, "What's
my grade? What's my grade?"

And these are something 8th graders.

These aren't third graders.

They're trying to make good grades.

They're motivated, and it's a good bonding
time for everybody

to get together and just have fun
in an educational setting,

learn about another culture,
actually experience another culture,

and just have some good bonding
time and some fun memories.

And I like to hang things

and leave the decorations up
or, I make them a bookmark that says

whatever, and we try
to kind of keep that going.

"Remember, that was really fun?

You want to make good
grades for next time."

So that is something else
that I really enjoy doing that I think is

very worthwhile that motivates
the students and is educational as well.