As educators, we know that December can be a little hectic and a little over the top. There’s distractions aplenty, a whole lotta energy. Need a little bit of Peace on Earth?
Try these 5 strategies for managing the holiday hype:
- Introduce some novelty into the day. Temporary changes to the daily routine can serve as a positive distraction, taking focus from outside excitement. Start a new week by changing up the seating arrangement or introducing a seasonal element (think lights and a digital fireplace for a calming effect!) Break up the monotony of these last few weeks.
- Implement high interest activities. Students are excited. Use that extra energy to engage students in some high interest activities. Let students research and present during a Holidays Around the World research fair. Let students engage in an open-ended question snowball fight (Each student writes their review questions on a piece of paper, crumbles it, and throws it at a classmate. Students then answer the questions on the snowball they picked up.) Have students write their own Holiday-themed Mad Libs. Use that natural excitement as fuel for learning.
- Use structured brain breaks with movement. Transitions can be even more chaotic. Use timed brain breaks to get students up and moving. Have your students move to a different area of the room to collaboratively solve today’s Wordle. Have students use cross body marching for focus. Do a quick Stand Up, Stretch, Find Something Red, Sit Down scavenger hunt. The proactive scheduling of brain breaks can help to harness some of that extra energy.
- Solidify your checklist for transitions. Holiday chaos often ensues when transitions take place. Before any transition, display your clear, sequential steps for students to see. Clear your desk. Eyes on the teacher. Listen for directions. Wait for the signal. Be sure to require a silent, non-verbal communication like a Thumbs up before moving on to the next activity. Predictability and clear expectations work best for transitions, and keep everyone accountable.
- Implement a student-led mini-lesson blitz. Students live for ownership over their learning. Allow each student (or group) to take a small piece of the curriculum and teach it to the class. A five minute chunk of time might involve a song, skit, or other creative method, and can help students learn the content from someone other than you. Students can focus on a task/performance and use energy productively. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
By channeling this December energy into productive novelty and structure, you’re not just surviving the holiday countdown, you’re setting the stage for a calmer, more focused start when you return in the new year. Implement a strategy or two this week and reclaim some peace on earth!
Rich
