Whether you are a December-loving or December-dreading teacher, this is a hard month! You’re trying to enjoy the last few weeks with your students while teaching something. Still, the constant schedule interruptions, special events, and students’ high energy level make it feel like a lost cause.
Here are 15 survival tips!
1 – Take a deep breath. And keep reminding yourself to do that. I keep a Post-it note on my laptop that says, “breathe.” (It’s a shame that I have to be reminded to do that, but when I’m stressed or tired or both, I need that reminder.)
2 – Be flexible. Have expectations for yourself and what can be completed in December, but hold those expectations loosely. Some things will go differently than planned due to changes in the schedule, students who may be more hyped-up than usual, and your lack of energy. Be okay with letting some things go.
3 – Along with being flexible, make your peace with the fact that December will not be your most productive teaching month. It just won’t. (And if it turns out to be more productive than you were expecting – congratulations!). Your most productive teaching months will be January to spring break.
4 – Keep some low-stress activities handy. Fun math practice (of concepts already learned) and fun holiday picture books come in handy when we all need a break. (I have some holiday picture book activities on TPT: Silver Packages, One Candle, The Trees of the Dancing Goats, and The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. I also have a free list of winter holiday picture books.)
5 – Speaking of low-stress activities, use as many independent activities as possible. You need a break, and your students need some quiet time to complete tasks.
6 – If you like to write thank-you notes for holiday gifts you receive from students, keep an ongoing list and write at least one or two notes per day. You can use inexpensive thank-you notes or cut out some holiday shapes on bright paper for stationery.
7 – December can get crazy with schedule interruptions, assemblies, and testing. Knowing that, try to keep the procedures, routines, and schedules you can control as “normal” as possible. This helps keep the chaos to a minimum.
8 – Review your expectations as often as needed. That could be multiple times a day. Consider creating anchor charts to remind students of routines and expectations, and refer to the charts. This helps eliminate the constant verbal reminders and questions like, “What are you supposed to be doing?”
9 – Less is more. Cut down on the teacher talk.
Say, “It’s time to get ready for lunch,” instead of “Can we all get ready for lunch now?”
Say, “Time to listen. Eyes on me,” instead of “Okay, let’s all settle down and get ready to listen. Focus on me, please.”
10 – Consider some kind of goal or reward challenge for the month. Challenge your class to earn points toward some kind of reward (pajama day, a cozy reading day with blankets and stuffies, crafts, games – whatever motivates your class). Set goals based on whatever your class needs to work on (quick transitions, not blurting/interrupting, quiet hallway behavior, etc.).
11 – Plan some activities that are fun for you. Crafts, holiday math activities, reading good books together, creating and writing holiday cards for patients at local hospitals, doing some fun activity with your younger reading buddies – whatever helps you to relax and enjoy this time with your students.
Here are some fun crafts from We Are Teachers. (Good ones for upper elementary students are 1, 2, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 20, 26, 27, 32, 33, and 38.)
12 – While your students are occupied with independent tasks or activities that don’t require your close supervision, use those moments for planning and prep for January.
13 – Plan some fun January activities for when you come back to school. Include some activities that allow time for reviewing routines and expectations, as they always need a solid review after a break. Find some good books to read. Think about activities that will allow your students to set some goals for themselves for the second half of the school year.
14 – Get as much of your January prep done as possible. Plan your lessons, choose your assignments, make your copies, and plan homework. Try to have your first week fully planned and prepped before leaving for break.
15 – The last few days before the break are also a good time for a good cleaning and/or organizing blitz! Make a list of what needs to be cleaned or organized. Allow students to sign up for tasks and set aside time for the blitz.
Finally – do whatever you can do to keep your own care as a top priority. Here are some of my posts about how to do that.
Self-care during the holidays
How to take care of yourself during the holidays
How to stay productive & healthy when you have too much to do
All of my content is intended to save teachers time and energy. My goal is to make good teaching sustainable while having a life outside of teaching. Let me know how I can help YOU with this quick form!