Surviving the Week before Winter Break

We’re in the final days before Winter Break. Students and teachers both have worked hard all semester and are eager for time off and a break from routine. However, we still have a week of school before that break begins. Students are excited, and teachers, while also excited, may also be exhausted from extra activities, programs, and over-excited students. For many teachers, this may be the most difficult time of the year. How do we keep our students - and ourselves - motivated? One way to keep everyone engaged is the use of thematic lessons. Ben Johnson, author of Engage and Motivate Your Students Before the Holiday Break, believes that designing learning around a theme provides additional incentive for students to stay interested and engaged in learning. According to Johnson, “Projects designed to embrace holiday and seasonal themes -- and timed to coincide with the holiday schedule -- can relieve pressure on the teacher, enthuse students, and keep them learning and engaged up to the last moment.”

Good lesson plans and structure can help teachers make it through this trying week. There are other ways to make this week easier on students and teachers. Angela Watson, of The Cornerstone, gives 7 Teacher Tips for Surviving the Week Before Holiday Break, citing that the final stretch of the semester can be the one of the most difficult times to maintain order. Here are her tips:

1. Don’t build anticipation.
2. Resist the urge to ease up on your behavioral expectations.
3. Review your procedures and expectations.
4. Integrate high-interest projects and group work into your regular routines.
5. Don’t feel pressure to do all of the elaborate holiday stuff that other teachers do.
6. Keep the last day before break low-key.
7. Get prepared for January before you leave.

Your Pepper Learning Community can be a great resource for surviving the week before Winter Break. Utilizing the experience and skills of teachers from around the country can provide unique opportunities for networking and sharing lesson ideas and classroom management tips. Also be sure to check out your Pepper Resource Library for great tools and resources.

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