Don't let December bring chaos to your classroom! With a little bit of additional effort and planning, you can get through one of the toughest months in the school year calendar and truly enjoy the break when you close your classroom door and head home for the holidays.
STAY ORGANIZED
It can be tough when the piles of paper start to grow and you are tempted to make the pile bigger (or create a new pile). Go through what's been stored to the side and truly scrutinize if you need it or it can be tossed into recycling. The more streamlined your room is, the calmer it will feel for both you and your students.
Recruit "Holiday Helpers". If you aren't already using "cleaners" in your classroom jobs, add some seasonal workers into the mix! Choose a student or 2 that will be in charge of managing the cleanup after you complete a messier-than-usual craft or activity. Supply a hand-held broom/dustpan combo and have students sweep up the excess glitter and paper clipping that make their way to the floor. Choose a detail-oriented child to be in charge of cleaning paint pots and brushes. The sooner everything is cleaned up and stored away, the sooner it will feel like "systems normal" in the classroom. If student Holiday Helpers aren't possible, recruit a room parent or two for some of your bigger and messier holiday projects!
STICK TO THE SCHEDULE
I know, I know. There are so many assemblies and fun events going on this month it seems like an impossible task to stay on a schedule. But, you can! Here is what I mean: when the day's schedule is going to deviate from what the students usually experience, post the changes. Let them know first thing in the morning how the day is going to be different. Some students need to see how the usual predictability of the day is going to be disrupted. I've even had some students write a personal copy of the schedule to keep in an agenda or desk. If our week is going to be in complete disarray, I will type it out and hand each student a copy of the week's schedule.
For the times you are in the classroom, keep your expectations the same. Hand raising, taking turns, and using manners will help give students a sense of normalcy during a time of the year when scheduling can be anything but normal.
MOVE AROUND
Avoid "hot spots" while teaching; those areas where you are constantly standing and where students need to give their focus continuously over extended periods of time. This can be tough if you teach a lot of whole group. The front/board becomes a hot spot when modeling or presenting content. However you can slightly change the stimuli to keep the energetic ones' attention a couple different ways. Ask a student to run the board/elmo. Have them sit or stand where you would normally be and fill in information or move slides as you direct the lesson from the back or side of the room. Also, to mix up the stimuli, move around while instructing. Although students will have their visual focus up front, their auditory will be coming from different directions and it will help to keep it "fresh".
MOVE YOUR STUDENTS AROUND
Plan time in your lessons for the students to be moving around. If you tend to keep students seated and watching "one spot" in the classroom consider changing up how that happens. If you are delivering content that doesn't require them to be seated in a chair, think about having them "come to the carpet". If writing is required, have them bring their pencils and a clipboard.
Have them complete tasks that require walking around (ex: QR code scavenger hunts) or moving station to station. The structured movement will help quell jitters from too much sitting and not enough time outside when the weather turns colder.
If the areas around the room become stale, consider bringing them to other parts of the building. Is there a quiet hallway or an available section of the library? Or an empty classroom? If you're looking to break up the behaviors that can come from sitting too long when there is excitement in the air, have your students grab a book and head elsewhere for a block of silent reading.
DON'T LEAVE A MESS
Clean up before you leave for the break. I mean it. Don't leave anything out. Don't put it to the side and deal with it when you come back. Do it before you leave. Clear off your bulletin boards, put away decorations, restock the paint, glitter, and construction paper. Have a "clean", ready for the New Year classroom waiting for you when you walk in after the holiday break. To get this done, be sure to have students help or ask a parent volunteer to help.
If your students bring you a gift, write down who gave you what as you open them. Even if you think you'll remember, write it down. I do this for two reasons.
1. I won't forget which gifts are from which students.
2. I use the list to mark off who I have written a thank you note to. It helps me ensure that every student/family gets a personalized thank you. I recommend writing notes ASAP. Time goes by even faster as we get closer to the last day of the break. If you happen to miss giving a student a thank you...or one is found on the floor after students have been dismissed... drop it in the main office mail on your way out.
It's no secret that the holidays can exhaust a classroom teacher. These 5 tips will help keep your classroom organized before the break and give you a fresh start when you and the students return after the holidays. Enjoy the break, you've earned it!
Happy Holidays!