How Will You Embody the Tiger in Your Classroom?
April 3, 2022
Zodiac can be dated all the way back to the 1st millennium BC, which is so long ago it’s hard to fathom! Early civilizations studied the stars and the moon to help guide them in nature’s cycles. The sky showed them when to hunt, harvest, and migrate.
In most Western countries, advancing technology and scientific research has allowed us to adjust our thinking, follow other predictable patterns, and not rely so much on the night sky. But that’s not the case for all parts of the world. The moon still influences many folks' thoughts and beliefs – that’s no different for their New Year and celebrations across the globe. Lunar New Year’ can be found in Native American culture and most of Asia. This yearly cycle follows a different calendar than is familiar to Westerners. Each year, different cultures celebrate in different ways, but all celebrate on the date of the first new moon cycle of the year. The first day of the new year tends to fall somewhere between late January and early February.
The most popular Lunar New Year celebrations are that of the Chinese New Year! Each year aligns with 12 zodiac animals. The 12 zodiac animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and the Pig. According to a 12-year-cycle, each year is related to an animal sign.
Legend says the animals were challenged to a celestial race to decide the order of the zodiacs. Tiger believed no one could compete with its speed and vigor. However, when Tiger climbed out of the river, it was informed that Rat placed first for its cunning and Ox placed second for its diligence. This left the king of the jungle having to settle for third place.
The year of the Tiger is a monumental year to the Chinese zodiac. The fearlessness of the tiger makes them the king of all beasts in China. It represents braveness, strength, and above all, stopping evil. People born in the Year of the Tiger are known to be active and courageous and seek out a good challenge and an adventurous life. Tigers are independent and possess strong self-esteem, as we can see in the legend of the celestial race. They have endless energy, and people are often drawn to their larger-than-life qualities. When faced with injustices, whether against themselves or others, you can be sure Tigers will not stand aside.
Although astrology is not a science, many people worldwide believe in its long-standing way of predicting and understanding human and Earthly events. Whether or not you believe in astrology, it’s still a fun way to think about how the Tiger can influence this year. When an opportunity arises, how will you be more like a tiger? When can you be brave? When will you show strength? Will you find yourself speaking out for injustices? You might surprise yourself and channel more tiger qualities than you think.
An easy way to see what qualities your students possess is to use a Social and Emotional Survey. These types of surveys give you fantastic insight into students' self-awareness of strengths, weaknesses, emotions, self-management of feelings, goals, school work, relationship skills, social awareness, and responsible decision-making. For example, Classworks Social-Emotional Skills Survey consists of 40 questions that students can take or can be administered 1:1 for younger students. It’s available in English and Spanish and helps you measure and support students' development of these discrete skills.
Discuss results as a class by highlighting different attributes and qualities the answers possess. Students could even take these results and align character traits to them to gain a deeper understanding. Then, using their results and characteristics, have students research which Chinese zodiac sign they most closely relate to. If they're older, have them write a paper or make a presentation on which animal they relate to most and why. As a bonus, have students reflect on character traits they want to develop. If they’re younger, have them draw the animal they relate to most and share the reason for their choice. This lesson will get students thinking about their strengths and how others see and relate to them. They may even find a friend in class with similar qualities and the same animal!
Looking for a fun activity to incorporate the tiger into your class? Check out this science activity from Classworks.
Like the tiger, are you feeling brave and looking to learn about how to make your vision for a cohesive, tiered intervention program a reality? Let us help! Chat with us using the chat button in the bottom right or email hello@classworks.com.
