The first day back after winter break can be difficult for students… and teachers. Most students thrive on consistency, routine, and schedules, and for many of them, those things haven’t existed over their break. While we, the teachers, enjoyed getting to drink actual hot coffee, the absence of 6 AM alarms, and getting to use the bathroom whenever we wanted to (even though we still missed seeing our students!), our kids are a little out of practice over a long break. Some (hopefully most) of our students had a wonderful break filled with lots of activities and memories, but very few demands and expectations. On the other hand, as much as we hate to imagine, some of our students have been looking forward to coming back to school the whole time, because school is their safe place. Either way, it’s important that we take our time easing back into the idea of school on our first day back from a long break. Here are 5 things to think about when you’re planning your first day back with students.
1. Use morning work that they are familiar with.
I know it’s January, and that’s technically a new month. But I’m giving you permission to use the same morning work (bins, tubs, paper and pencil work, whatever it is) as you did in December, so that your kids can unpack and walk into the classroom to something that they are familiar with. You don’t want your kids to sit down, see something they don’t know how to do, and go into panic mode. Even if you think they would really like those cool new magnetic blocks you got for Christmas. (Spoiler alert: They’ll still like them next week!) Let them come in, sit down, and feel like they’ve got this. Having something familiar will be especially helpful for your kids who are feeling a little extra anxious about coming back to school this morning.
2. Review routines.
Depending on where you teach, January is technically 5 or 6 months into the school year. So your kids “know” that when you ring the bell, they should quietly clean up and walk to the carpet. Right? Wrong. They have been on break for at least a week (maybe more), and they need a total refresher. So instead of ringing the bell and getting frustrated, pretend it’s the first day of school. Review all of the routines, and have students practice them just like you did at the beginning of the year. You will save yourself from having your students go back and try it again a million times, and the energy in the room will stay positive. Be proactive!
3. Pile on the positive!
Along the same lines as number two, you can’t assume that your students remember the things that they “should know how to do because it’s January.” So, pile on the positive reinforcement when you catch your students following the routines and procedures. Remember to be specific (“Wow! Look at Dexter’s walking feet! He is being so safe coming to the carpet.”) so that students know exactly what behaviors you want to see more of. Just saying “good job,” doesn’t tell them what they need to be doing.
4. Schedule share time
Your students are going to want to tell you (and everyone else) all about their break. Every. Single. Detail. So instead of trying to squash the talking which will eventually get super frustrating, build in some time for this type of conversation. Maybe it’s your share during morning meeting, or you just set aside 5 minutes of talk time. Just be sensitive to students who you know might have had a less-than-stellar break.
5. Go slow.
Your class might have been at their peak of awesomeness when you left for winter break. But remember, they just had time off. You are reviewing, modeling, and practicing routines and expectations. It’s okay if you don’t get to everything that you planned for your first day back. In my opinion, taking time to re-establish routines, expectations, and your classroom community will help you so much more in the long run than if you got to all ten things you had planned on your first day back. If you take the time to do it RIGHT, you won’t have to keep revisiting it over and over. On the other hand, if you just dive right in to curriculum the second your kids walk through the door, you will find yourself constantly giving reminders and trying to play catch up with student behavior, which ultimately leads to less teaching time in the end. So, take those activities that didn’t make the cut today, and slide them into tomorrow’ bin!
So, you are now armed and ready to conquer the first day back after break! Click here to download a list of routines and procedures from the beginning of the year that you might want to review with your students.
Do you have any other tips to consider when planning what to do on your first day back? Leave a comment below to share your tips with others!
