4 Things To Do After a School Break

4 Things To Do After a School Break

No comments Classroom Ideas, Classroom Management, School break, Tips and Tricks

I think we'd all agree that extended school breaks are the best. I know that for me, the fall, winter, and spring breaks tend to roll around when I need them most. But, being out of the classroom routine for an extended length of time means I need to spend a bit of time getting my kids back into the groove of things when classes resume.

Whenever we come back from a long break, there are four things I like to do to make sure our transition back is as smooth as possible.

Review our classroom rules/expectations. 
Our rules are actually our school wide expectations. There are 10 expectations. Which is a lot. We spent two weeks at the beginning of the school year discussing, thinking, and writing about each expectations in depth, but again, 10 expectations is a lot. After a long break, it's super important to review them. Whether you have 5 classroom rules, or 10, be sure to spend a bit of time reviewing them.

Set a goal.
Once I've reviewed the rules (or expectations), I like to set daily goals during our morning meeting. This is a good way to focus on each expectation rather than just quickly read through them as a group.

What do I mean by set a goal? Our first school wide expectation is to "Use Good Manners." So, on our first day back, we'll read through the expectations and then I'll tell students that as a class we will really focus on expectation #1. We'll talk about using polite words and actions. The next day, students can share examples of what they did to meet the goal before a new goal is set for the next expectation.

Review our procedures.
I know, I know, you have about 347 classroom procedures. So do I, but reviewing the ones that can have the biggest impact on your day is a good idea. Especially if you teach the little ones. I like to review the following procedures:

• morning tub expectations (read more about morning tubs here)
• CHAMPS
• whole body listening
• non-verbal signals
• lining up
• walking in the hallway
• sitting on the carpet

Let students tell about their break.
Our students love their breaks just as much as we do. There's a pretty good chance that they experienced something they'd like to share with you, or the class. There are a few ways to do this. You could let your students share them during your morning meeting time. Let students share one at a time. This is not only fun for the student sharing, but it's also fun for everyone else. Students like hearing what their friends were up to when they were apart. Plus, it's a great way to practice speaking in complete sentences and taking turns.

Another way to let students share is the traditional writing prompt approach. Have your students write about what they did. Once finished, they can share their writing and ideas with a partner, their table group, or the whole class.

Have a tip to add to the list? Leave a comment below! :)

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