Not every teacher knows how to get their class to line up, and that’s OK! Between squirrelly children and numerous distractions, lining them up can be a feat. But don’t worry—we’ve got your game plan right here.

1. Say, “OK, cats and kittens! It’s time to line up for the library.”
2. Watch as all but four of your students start crawling on the floor and meowing.
3. Say, “Ah. Wrong choice of words. Human students! Please line up for the library.”
4. Say, “Jasmine, please stop cleaning Ava’s ears with your paw.”
5. Say, loudly, “WE ARE DONE BEING CATS.”
6. Say, “Yes, Wyatt,” since Wyatt is raising his hand.
7. Thank Wyatt for sharing that his cousin adopted a cat last month.
8. Have a brief side consultation with Jackson, this week’s line leader, who’d like to renegotiate his Line Leader contract as this Friday is early dismissal, thus curtailing his Line Leader net worth.
9. Observe

Kwanzaa, officially observed from December 26 to January 1, might be one of the most misunderstood and overlooked winter holidays. But as a secular observance that focuses on concepts such as creativity, hope, and collective responsibility, it is one of the more appropriate and fun ways to bring these themes together in the classroom. Created in 1966 by Professor Maulana Ron Karenga as a way to reaffirm and restore identity and heritage in the African American community after the Watts Riots, the celebration is rooted in African diasporic traditions and practices.     

As an art teacher and parent, one of my favorite things about Kwanzaa is that the traditional symbols of the holiday—the mat, the candles, and the gifts—can be easily (and inexpensively) created with art supplies you already have and can be updated or reimagined to fit into your classroom and community.  

Organized around the principles called the