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7 Important Teacher Tips for Returning to School After Winter Break

Whenever we take a pause from our usual classroom schedule and work life, there's this phase where we all need to readjust and regroup. Returning to school after winter break is no exception! After a few weeks of staying up later than usual and enjoying lazy mornings, getting back into a routine can be very challenging. That's why a little pre-planning can go a long way in making it a smooth and less shocking first day back for everyone! Check out these teacher tips that are guaranteed to help you and your students have a smooth transition back.


1. The Morning Mixed Feelings Greeting

We know how important that morning greeting at the door can be for welcoming our littles. It's especially important to meet and greet on the first day back to acknowledge the many emotions that a return to school brings.

Some students may be overly excited and full of energy, while others may be sad, anxious or even lethargic. It's a great opportunity for you to assess the overall mood of the class to be prepared to head off any meltdowns, separation anxiety tears or behavior problems before they occur.

2. Allow Extra Time for Sharing

If morning meetings are a regular part of your routine, after students are unpacked and settled in, gather together for some classroom community sharing time. Allowing students to tell about their winter break is a great way to get it all out so they can better focus on learning activities.

It often takes a long time to share out with a group of 24 or more students, so consider a think, pair, share activity rather than circle time. You can work in several partner rotations in a short amount of time. It has been my experience that shy and reluctant students feel more comfortable in a partnership.

I use partner pairing cards to quickly assign random classroom buddies for partner activities. My class loves to do stand up, hand up, pair up with them as they seek out their partner who has the matching card.

Before any talking begins, you can share YOUR winter break activities or holiday celebration stories with your students by modeling what a good discussion might look like as well as what good listening behaviors look like. It's a sure way to hook them in and get their attention because kiddos LOVE hearing details about the great mystery of their teacher's life outside of school!

3. Review Rules, Procedures and Expectations

Get your class back in the groove and make sure that there are clear expectations for behavior, classroom routines and for following established classroom rules to get the year started off on the right foot.

Going over absolutely everything at once is a little overwhelming and negative, so a reminder before the start of any transition like your unpacking procedure, line up routine, or lunchroom visit is a great way to break up these reminders. Little bits at a time will guarantee things run more smoothly.

4. Ease Back into Learning

There is almost always a bit of what I call vacation brain or learning slide following any break from school, so this is the perfect time to review lessons that were started in December before moving forward.

It's time to pull out a few no prep review worksheets, plan for a read aloud story that has supplemental lesson activities, or to have ready to go learning activities like PowerPoint lessons, task cards or writing centers. Focus on high interest, fun and engaging lessons for the students and that don't require a ton of prep work.

I like to start the day with a New Year word search (freebie) that students can work and here and there throughout the day.

Here are some really fun winter themed math and ELA task cards for a get up and move scoot activity that my class really enjoys!




I try to have these types of activities copied and ready to go before break and in a very visible place like smack dab in the middle of my desk, so I do not forget what I have planned for day one!

5. Set Classroom and Personal Goals

Even if you head back a week after the New Year, it's never too late to have your students adopt that growth mindset and set new goals for school or home. This New Year Goal flap book is an easy way to accomplish this and, the best part is, at the end of the activity, you have a ready to go January bulletin board display of student work!


6. Declutter and Organize in Small Bites

At some point in the day, give students a chance to clean out their desks or cubbies. Have a few trash bins throughout the room if possible to minimize the traffic flow and chaos.

But instead of a full blown, take EVERYTHING out and stack it up (and hope it doesn't slide and crash onto the floor in a rainbow explosion of lost crayons and pencils), challenge students to do it in small bites that are manageable throughout the first week. Directions like find five bits of paper to throw away or put three supplies back in your pencil box... break this daunting task down and reduce the mayhem that desk cleaning may bring about.

Organizing student desks in two halves helps them find things easily. Supplies go on one side, and workbooks, notebooks, and spiral notebooks on the other. A ready pencil is kept out of the pencil case and that prevents the banging and clanging of boxes during transitions to pencil paper tasks!




My students know the desk fairy visits them regularly and leaves a note and a special treat so they are really motivated to keep up on things in their own personal space. You can grab some free desk fairy notes at my TPT store!




With January weather keeping many classrooms inside, consider asking if any students would like to help with an extra organizing job or two during recess or when they finish a task quickly. What we teachers see as a chore, some students LOVE!

Students have a great time helping out with classroom and teacher things that are a privilege to handle like classroom manipulatives or the teacher's read aloud library! My students used to beg for extra jobs instead of playing and when working on a task with with a group of friends, they had so much fun!

While I supervise the students doing their organizing and clean up work, I get going on purging any leftover December and holiday stuff in the room and clear out my Monday through Friday drawers to be sure I have room for new copies, read aloud books for the week, learning activities and projects that need to be prepped.



Decluttering your computer and desk by deleting old emails, voicemail messages, notifications and desktop files is a great thing to work on during prep the first week back. Maybe it's time to tackle the secret hoard in the desk drawer too! :)

Even ten minutes a day spent on organizing will keep your home away from home clutter free, stress free and much more manageable.

Maybe that would make for a great New Year goal if you haven't already started on your path to organization!

7. End the Day on a Positive Note

You made it through so be sure to recognize and compliment your class on a job well done so that they leave your room feeling ready to give you their best this week.

An end of the day game, Go Noodle dance off or even a special treat like a bag full of hot chocolate snowman soup is a wonderful way to keep it positive when you send students on their way and to get all of your kiddos excited for another day of classroom fun and learning!

Conclusion

Facing the return to school after a break can be challenging for everyone. However, by recognizing that students have many different feelings about coming back and giving them the opportunity to share their experiences, reviewing academics and classroom expectations, you can establish a foundation for a successful, organized and goal-oriented start to classroom learning in January!

Happy teaching!

You may also enjoy these blog posts:


Magic Reindeer Food Gift Tag Toppers: A Fun Holiday Tradition for the Classroom and for Families

Making magic reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn on Christmas Eve is one of the simplest and most inexpensive projects for young children that you will find. It makes for a great classroom holiday party station and a really cute take home project. The best part is that it may be the start of a memorable holiday tradition for families with little ones.

What you will need:

  • clear sandwich or snack baggies
  • oatmeal
  • red or green glitter

Students can easily add their own ingredients to the bag and when you staple on this cute poem and topper, it's sealed and ready for Santa's reindeer! 




I know your students will love this Christmas project and you will love how easy it is to set up for them! 

You can find more easy to prep holiday ideas here:


Happy Teaching and Happy Holidays!


Holidays Around the World: Stress-Free Teaching Resources for Primary Teachers

In the midst of the busy holiday season and all kinds of classroom activities, finding time to plan and teach a large unit like holidays around the world can be an overwhelming task for teachers. The good news is that we've got you covered! In this blog post, I'll share two fantastic teaching resources that are not only educational but also require zero prep time, for a hassle-free and engaging holiday learning experience for your first and second grade learners.


Holidays Around the World Explorers PowerPoint Lesson: A Journey Across Ten Countries

Our first teaching resource is a PowerPoint lesson designed to take your students on an exciting journey around the globe, exploring the diverse holiday traditions of ten different countries, including Hanukkah celebrations and Kwanzaa traditions.

My class loves PowerPoint lessons displayed on the board because they can see the picture much better than they can with any read aloud book. Engagement is the key to surviving the weeks before the holidays! 



Here's what makes it a must-have for your holiday curriculum:


Engaging Photographs: Awesome visuals are key to keeping young minds interested. This resource features vibrant and engaging photographs that bring the holiday celebrations to life, allowing students to connect with the cultural richness of each tradition.



Easy-to-Understand Content: The lesson is created with simplicity in mind, presenting information in a way that is easily digestible for primary students. Complex holiday customs, traditions, foods, decorations, and gift-giving practices are broken down into bite-sized, age-appropriate content.


Facts and Information: Teachers can expect a wealth of well-researched facts and information about each country's holiday celebrations. This ensures that students not only enjoy the visuals but also gain valuable knowledge about diverse cultures and traditions.




No Prep Required: As a time-strapped teacher, you'll appreciate the fact that this resource requires absolutely no prep work. Simply download the PowerPoint, and you're ready to take your students on a holiday adventure without any additional planning stress.


Holidays Around the World Comprehension Passages with Text-Dependent Questions: Seamless Learning, No Prep Needed

Our second resource is a set of comprehension passages with text-dependent questions, offering an effortless way to integrate reading comprehension into your holiday curriculum. These worksheets are great for morning work, fast finisher tasks or as part of your language arts instruction.


Here's why this resource is a game-changer:


No Prep Required: Say goodbye to the stress of planning and grading. These ready-to-use reading comprehension passages come with text-dependent questions, allowing you to effortlessly incorporate meaningful reading activities into your holiday lessons.


Engaging for Young Learners: The passages are crafted with the cognitive abilities of young learners in mind. The content is age-appropriate, ensuring that your students stay focused and excited about learning, even during the holiday season.


Varied Topics: Covering a range of holiday-related topics, from cultural traditions to festive foods and customs, these passages provide a comprehensive exploration of the holiday season across different cultures.


With these two no-prep teaching resources, you can make your holiday unit a stress-free and engaging learning experience for your students and be able to enjoy the holidays along with them!

 

For more holiday ideas:

Christmas in the Classroom Teaching Ideas and Resources

Happy teaching!

How to Writing Through the Holidays: Fun & Festive Resources for Your Classroom

It's so much fun to teach around themes during the holiday season! But in the flurry of extra Christmas activities in the classroom, finding time to squeeze in writing practice can be a challenge. I'm here to share some awesome no prep resources that will help your students keep their writing skills sharp and celebrate the season at the same time.

1. Deck the Halls: How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than by decorating a Christmas tree? This resource provides a fun and festive writing prompt that even reluctant writers will be excited about. Students use their imagination and descriptive writing skills to plan the perfect tree, from choosing the ornaments to stringing the lights. The writing pages have primary dashed lines for younger students and a cute Christmas tree topper that they can decorate themselves!




2. Santa's Nice List: Secure Your Spot!

Ever wondered what it takes to land yourself on Santa's nice list? This resource offers a playful writing prompt that encourages students to reflect on their actions and think about what they can do to be their best selves while Santa is watching! Students may write about their good deeds and cooperative behavior, sharing kindness, being a good friend or sibling and more! They may even give a piece of advice to someone else!




3. Gingerbread Dreams: Building a Delicious Holiday Tradition

Building a gingerbread house is a fun holiday tradition for many families. Students will write about their dream gingerbread house, using their imaginations to describe its design, decorations, and even the sweet treats they want to use to make one. The writing page features a cute gingerbread to color and decorate.




Bonus: Make it a Bulletin Board Display!

Once your students have completed their writing activities, create a bright and colorful holiday bulletin board. Decorate the board with festive lights, snowflakes, or other holiday borders. Then, display your students' writing pages and decorated toppers. This creates a fun and festive display of student work that shows off their creativity and writing skills.

These teaching resources are a fun and engaging way to keep your students writing throughout the holidays. They'll help them celebrate the season while developing their writing skills and creating adorable holiday displays. So grab these resources, get festive, and watch your students' creativity shine! You can find these and other holiday resources here.

Happy teaching!

Veterans Day Reading Comprehension Freebie

Teachers, we know it's important to help young students grasp the meaning of Veterans Day. Often, they come to us with some misconceptions or no prior knowledge of this important holiday at all! Here are a few important concepts they need to know!

Begin by teaching your students that unlike the names of some other holidays, it's "Veterans Day" with no apostrophe.

Celebrating patriotic holidays in the classroom can be fun, engaging and educational. But where to start? Maybe you need more than a craft or coloring page to help your students understand the meaning of Veterans Day. If so, you will love this Veterans Day Reading Comprehension worksheet to use with your second or third grade students!


No matter what learning activities you do with your class on this day, it would be wonderful if they left the room with five big ideas.

Here are some other quick facts to help your students understand and appreciate the significance of this important day.

  1. Honoring All Veterans: Veterans Day celebrates all military veterans, not just active-duty soldiers. 
  2. History: It started as Armistice Day for WWI, later expanded to honor veterans from different wars.
  3. Recognizing All Branches: We salute veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
  4. Not a focus on War: Veterans Day is about thanking and remembering those who protected our freedom, not celebrating war.
  5. Different from Memorial Day: Memorial Day is for those who died in service, while Veterans Day is for all veterans, living and deceased.
Most importantly, It is a wonderful sign of respect when a person thanks a veteran for their service. Teach your students early on about the importance of honoring all veterans either by learning about them, thanking a veteran when they meet one, honoring the holiday and its meaning, or writing a letter and sending it off to the VA near you.
 
If you're looking for an educational activity with a touch of history to honor veterans on November 11th, you can grab this comprehension passage here.

Happy teaching!

Friendsgiving in the Classroom: A Simple But Festive Feast

 

It's the season of gratitude, and what better way to celebrate with your class than with a Friendsgiving feast? Hosting a Friendsgiving in the classroom is a great way for your little learners to celebrate being a classroom family, learn about different cultures, and enjoy some delicious food. I've held many Thanksgiving feasts in the classroom and each of them looked a little different. Here's a simple way to get started if you are looking for ideas for your first Thanksgiving in the classroom!



Choosing a Menu

When choosing a menu for your Friendsgiving, it's important to keep things simple. If you are planning to do a little cooking in the classroom, you want to choose recipes that are easy to make and that everyone will enjoy. 

A great way to do this is to send home a note to parents to have students contribute food items towards the making of a recipe like corn soup to represent the first Thanksgiving or they contribute foods that are featured in a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and you have a combo celebration!

Here is a simple menu for a combination style Friendsgiving feast in the classroom:

  • Appetizer: Pumpkin spice cream cheese with pretzel sticks
  • Main course: Turkey chili or corn soup
  • Sides: Mashed potatoes, green beans, corn bread muffins, stuffing or popcorn, buttered toast
  • Dessert: Pumpkin pie, apple pie, Navaho fry bread or jelly beans

Preparing the Food

If your students are contributing food items, be sure to give them clear instructions on what to bring and how to prepare it. It is a good idea to have a system in place to confirm that items parents signed up for make it to school and... have a back up plan in the event that something is forgotten or a student is absent. 

I always bring in a crock pot so my students can help the making of our soup but ask for all other donated items to arrive ready to eat. We churned our own butter in a baby food jar!

Many schools have an oven in the teacher's lounge that can be used for baking as long as you have a volunteer to help monitor the oven.

You may also want to assign different students different tasks, such as setting the tables, decorating the classroom, or serving the food.

Making It Fun

Once the food is ready, it's time to enjoy! Be sure to set up some fun activities for your students to do while they're eating, such as playing Thanksgiving-themed games or watching a Thanksgiving movie.

Here are some tips for making your Friendsgiving feast extra fun:

  • Decorate the classroom: Set up a Thanksgiving table with all the trimmings, or create a fun photo booth with Thanksgiving or fall props.
  • Plan a few fun activities: Play games like Thanksgiving bingo, read funny Thanksgiving poems, or make an easy craft.
  • Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!
  • Give thanks: Take some time during your feast to have your students share what they're grateful for in school and at home. If you have a classroom gratitude jar, this is the perfect time to pull from it!

Hosting a Friendsgiving feast in the classroom is a great way to celebrate the season of gratitude with your students. By choosing a simple menu, having students contribute food items, and making it fun, you can create a memorable event that everyone will enjoy.

You can take a look back at our earlier posts for more ideas for Thanksgiving fun in the classroom:

Cooking Corn Soup and More Thanksgiving Classroom Fun

There are lots of  fun printable Friendsgiving teaching resources available at TPT! You can find them here.

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