Returning from Winter Break can feel almost more difficult than the beginning of the school year. In August, you feel rested from the summer off and excited to meet your new students. In January, after the holidays, this excitement may have dwindled and to be honest, you are probably in need of another week off! When returning to school starts to creep up on me, I feel such intense “Sunday Scaries” – and I know I’m not alone. Here’s what I do start the second semester strong!
Reteach & Review Class Expectations & Procedures.
After any break, it’s so important to review class rules, expectations, and procedures. However, it doesn’t have to be boring! I love using games like “What’s That?” or a scavenger hunt activity to get my students to recall our classroom rules without too much teacher-led time. Find more details on some of my favorite activities to teach expectations here!
Review The Essential Skills
Every year, I’m always shocked at how much students seem to forget after just a few weeks off from school! I get that not everyone thinks about integers as often as I do, so it’s important to remind students of essential skills and ease back into learning with fun review activities. For 7th and 8th grade, I love to start off with this New Years’ pixel art activity that reviews integer operations! For younger students, I use mix and match escape rooms to create a review of math topics we covered during the first few months of the school year!
Be Mindful
Not every student had an amazing holiday break, so try to limit comparisons. When some students are sharing about all of the new stuff they got from Santa or the really cool trip they have gone on, others are feeling like their holidays weren’t enough. Provide students with a way to share with you that is more private, like a writing journal, and then move on!
What do you do first when your students return in January? Let me know in the comments below!
