Coming back to school after holiday breaks always creates a time to review simple routines and expectations. It’s also an opportunity for a fresh start.
Here are five of my favorite things to do when returning from breaks!
Talk about problem-solving skills.
Review problem-solving skills with your students to empower them to problem-solve on their own. When I taught 5th grade, I had a few 5th-grade students use a problem-solving wheel as “Peace Patrol” officers while they helped primary students problem-solve on the playground. It’s also a great display to have up in your classroom so you can refer to it throughout the school year. Get the problem-solving wheel here.
Review and reteach behavior expectations.
Over long holiday breaks our students may forget the behavior expectations we’ve created for our classroom. But it’s easy and so important to remind them! I spend the first day back from breaks reviewing behavior expectations. If needed, I also take students into different areas of the school to review expectations in the exact locations. You can always create new expectations too! They don’t always have to be created at the beginning of the school year. Just make sure they’re clear and concise!
Set new academic and/or behavior goals.
Returning back to school from holiday breaks is a great time to set goals! I used my SMART Goal templates and guided my students to make new goals after coming back from a break. Creating SMART Goals helped my students take ownership of their learning and solidify that it was a fresh start.
Explicitly teach kindness and empathy.
Students need explicit teaching about what it means to be kind, understand perspectives, and have empathy. While reviewing expectations, setting goals, and practicing problem-solving when you come back from breaks, also weave in explicit lessons about empathy, compassion for others, and the power of kindness.
Take the time to do daily check-ins with your students.
You can start a daily check-in system with your students when you come back from breaks. Getting students back into the routines of school can sometimes be challenging after they’ve spent some time away. Daily check-ins can help you understand how your students are feeling and find out what support they might need.
