This is the second post in a series about Comic Cons.
The previous post explained what a Comic Con is and why you should host one. One of the great things about being an educator is being able to provide students with experiences that they may not otherwise have or know is possible.
One of the great things about students not previously experiencing a Comic Con is that they don’t know what to expect. Nor will they know if something was left out. They will love anything that is planned!
Planning a Comic Con relies on student age, available space and funds, and time available to plan.
How big of a Comic Con you have will depend on whether you decide to host it during school and if it will happen schoolwide.
If you choose to host your Comic Con after school hours, I suggest you create an RSVP system and provide students with entrance tickets. But…if students don’t can still attend. Handing out tickets and having some type of accounting for attendance will help you number of activities to have available, the amount of necessary materials, and staff to have on hand.
Hosting a Comic Con during school hours guarantees that all students will be able to participate. You will be able to use enrollment numbers to plan accordingly. I have only hosted Comic Cons during school hours and much of what I will be sharing here is largely based on that experience.
Consider what time of year to host the Comic Con. We chose the fall for a couple of reasons. One is because Field Day is in the spring, or end of year. We wanted something that was early enough in the school year where we could go outside. But late enough that teachers could develop norms and expectations. We also chose our date based on a combination of book day and halloween. While it is a literacy based event, we also wanted to be conscientious of our families not having to spend more money on costumes.
When we planned out first Comic Con, we reached out to other folks who have planned them in a school. One thing they recommended was to stick as close to the school schedule as possible.
If the student is scheduled to go to a science class, they still go to science class and they will participate in a comic con activity during science class. This is a great option for middle or high schools where students have classes that they move to throughout the day. It limits the amount of disruptions in the school day, and can provide a great focus for the types of activities that will be planned.
This could initially feel challenging in an elementary school where students are largely self contained. However, we have found that following the essentials (or specials) rotation helps.
Here’s what I mean. Our essentials run for 45 minutes with a 5 minute transition. Our second comic con followed e daily essentials rotation and we found it immensely helpful.
Using the essentials rotation, we had 45 minute blocks. Grade levels were grouped in the same area and rotated through three different stations during those 45 minutes. They had 15 minutes at each station.
Less that 10 minutes a station is not enough time.
Kindergarten through 5th grade, that is 6 grades. We had six areas; one for each grade level to be in at a time. The grade would be in the same area, each class in that grade in one activity at that area, and then travel to the next area.
For example, the kindergarten team may have been in the arts and craft area. One class may have been using legos and other maker materials to build characters, scenes, etc. another class may have been creating superhero identities, and another class was at the photo booth.
While the kindergarteners were there, the other grades were in a different area. The fifth grade was in the literature area. One class was reading graphic novels, another was creating animations, and another was at a photo booth.
The grade completed that rotation, and traveled to the next area. The schedule below, while not perfect, gives you an idea of what the overall day looked like for K-5 students. The unaccounted for time is when the students have lunch and recess.
Almost every station was staffed. If you are fortunate enough to get parent or community volunteers, do it! We have had to use our own staff to man stations. A benefit of this, is that you can still provide classroom teachers with their contracted prep time. They could leave during their regularly scheduled prep time while their students at a station with another colleague. Another benefit is increasing the adult:student ratio. This can be really helpful if the station is a tad complicated or requires a bit of assistance.
Our Comic Cons have been full day events. We have curated so many activities that we have enough for a full day. I foresee a few tweaks to the schedule for next year. And we have already been throwing around some potential changes.
For one, covering contracted lunches and prep time is a challenge on a day like this. In the past, we have tried provided lunch and recess for the entire school at the same time. Coverage for this is almost possible because our certified staff provides a great deal of lunch and recess coverage. This is something we can do better with and would love to hear suggestions!
I could also foresee us moving towards a half day schedule, or essentials only schedule. Our field days currently run on a half day schedule where K-2 is in the am and 3-5 is in the afternoon. I could see us doing this if our staff requested it.
An essentials only schedule would mean that students would participate in Comic Con activities during their scheduled essentials class. I see this as a great culminating activity for the first weeks of school, or a great way to transition into a scheduled school break.
In the end, how you schedule your Comic Con will depend on your preference, contractual obligations, and age of your students.
Next week, I will share some of the activities that we have chosen to include during Comic Con along with some tips.
