Low-Cost January Teaching Resources

Today I want to share some of my favorite ways to kick off the new year with low-cost resources that are not only engaging but fun. 

1. Reading Comprehension

I LOVE teaching the history behind the holidays. A few years ago, I created this resource for New Year's. It goes through some of the traditions that we celebrate at New Year's. It covers traditions such as the first and last countries to celebrate New Year's each year. Students learn about the ball drop tradition in Times Square. they learn about the song Auld Lang Syne, and many more traditions. This resource is packed full of 7 reading passages with comprehension sheets and several extension activities as well, including creating a time capsule. If you love history as much as I do, then you should definitely check this one out.  Find it here.

2. Paired Reading

I love paired reading books for not just reading comprehension strategies, but also for the opportunity to dig into a compare and contrast between two stories that have a common theme. In this case, the theme is music. These two books are a wonderful way to help students learn about the classics and composers too. 

One of the important reading skills we work on with these books is cause and effect and a goal setting activity for the new year. 

There are 12 full lesson plans that can last you for over two weeks! Even if you do not own these books you can get them at the library or even on YouTube! Check out this resource over here.

3. Teambuilding

After a long break, it is great to focus on teambuilding again. One way I like to do this is through an art challenge. Students are placed in teams and given art challenges to complete. They have a certain amount of time to work on each challenge, and just like in the cooking show, Chopped, students get a bag of supplies to work from...each group gets the same supplies. After the time is up, students present their art to the entire class and receive points. After three rounds (which I suggest doing on different days), one team is announced as the winner and receives a certificate. 

This one is found over here.

Hopefully, you found something helpful here. Happy New Year! I hope the rest of the school year goes well for you. 

Five Things to do to Ease Back to School after New Years

I am not the kind of teacher to rush back and hit the books and new learning right away after Christmas break. I love to spend the first day back as a review day...some might call it a slow start. Here's a look at what I am planning to do my first day back. 

1. Start with time for talking. 

I think this one is very important. Students have been away from the classroom for two full weeks. They are excited. They are tired. Some don't want to be there. Let's face it, they need a few minutes to share and talk about their break, and hear about the breaks of others. I will be using a Rolling into the New Year activity to help with this. Students have a few minutes to talk with friends in a structured way. Using this is super easy. Students take turns rolling the die and then talking about the question they rolled. You can see it in the picture below. You can find this activity over here.  This resource is updated for each year, including this year. 

2. Review Rules and Procedures

Students need to be reminded of the rules. Anytime you are out for more than a weekend, it is a good idea to review. This could be done in fun ways like making it into a game or a fun and interactive quiz. 

I am going to use a true or false quiz that is fun and a bit ridiculous. For instance, I choose really outlandish things like: 

True or false, when entering the classroom late, you should pretend to be on the red carpet, walking with style and doing a few spins on the way to your seat. 

Students will smile, laugh and also remember what they are really suppose to do, because I will also have the real rules and procedures throw in such as: True or false, when entering the classroom late, you should come in quietly, close the door behind you, put your things at your desk and join whatever activity we are doing. 

You get the point. I would do this with every rule and then go over it together when everyone has finished.

3. Math Review

Instead of jumping in to a new concept in math, we are going to do a math review called Unlock the New Year. This review is by Cooties and Cuties and it is a quick countdown activity where students do a few review skills for each number on the board and then move toward the number 1 where they will get a few Hershey's kisses as a celebration for completing the challenge. 

4. Starbooks Cafe

Starbooks Cafe is a fun and relaxing way to get back into the swing of reading while reviewing several reading skills in a reading marathon. Students will get to sip a sweet hot chocolate while reading and responding to a book of their choice. 

I found this activity years ago online, but I do not remember where it came from. But you can see how I set this up over here.

5. Staff Appreciation Writing

I am adding in this new activity from hello_fifth on TPT. Students will choose one staff member and will write about why they are grateful for that staff member. It will give them a chance to work on their writing skills, but with a smaller task instead of diving right in to writing essays. It will also put a smile on the staff member's face when we give them out to each of them. 

As a bonus, this week, I have a part two of low cost New Year activities, so be sure to check it out as well. 

January Classroom Reset: What I Actually Change (and What I Don't)

Why January Feels Like a Reset (But Isn't a Full Restart)

Coming back from Christmas break can absolutely feel hard. There is a lot of post Christmas excitement in the air, students and teachers are tired, and everyone has been out of the habit of classroom routines and procedures. But January doesn't have to be a full restart. You do not have to begin again like you did in August or September of this school year. January is not the new August (or September). Small tweaks make a huge difference. You do not need a complete overhaul to get everything back on track again. 

What I actually Change in January

1. Clear clutter, don't try to redecorate

If you try to take on a complete redecoration of your classroom, you could find yourself overwhelmed and burned out on your first day back. Instead, focus on small changes like decluttering. Take down work from last quarter and get it ready to go home. Put things back in place that have been left out by students. Do a quick tidy of your teacher work space. These changes, however small, will refresh the classroom and get everything ready for learning again. 

2. Do a quick rework of your seating 

Consider classroom behaviors from before break in guiding yourself through a new seating chart. A fresh seating chart always feels good. It is novel for students and helps them to adjust again to the classroom. They do not need to sit by their bestie, instead, think about where they will do their best work without distraction. 

3. Routines and Procedures

Re-teach transitions and procedures again. Students have been out of practice for two weeks, and let's face it, things were out of the normal with programs, parties and interruptions the week before break. They need a refresher in classroom expectations. Do not just assume that they will fall right into line. Be proactive and give them a mini classroom boot camp. You won't have to be as in-depth as the first week of school, but you definitely do not want to gloss over this one.  

4. Instruction and Planning

Plan  on creating more time for review and scaffolding for the first couple of days back. Allow students to ease back into the routine and review what they learned during the first semester before moving forward into completely new concepts.

What I don't Change (Even if it's Tempting)

1. Under no circumstances do I change my classroom management system. My system is working for me. I will not add any new point systems or rewards. Consistency is more important than novelty. Students need to know what to expect. My system cannot constantly be changing. They know what is expected and what will happen if they do not follow procedures and rules. I will return to my system from day one after break. Here is a look at how I handle classroom management.  Don't fix what isn't broken. Just double down again and keep the management they have grown to rely on. 

2. I do not make any major curriculum changes. Instead of switching up programs half-way through the school year, adjust how you deliver content, not the content itself. If something hasn't been working, find a different way to teach. 

3. I do not expect perfection. Just as students make mistakes in their daily work, so they will make behavior mistakes as well. Have grace for them. Have grace for yourself, as you will make your own fair share of mistakes. Don't allow students (or yourself) to feel that a mistake determines your worth or says who you are. You are worth more than the sum of your mistakes and your students are too. Foster that growth mindset in not only academics, but in classroom behaviors as well. 

How I Re-Teach Without Making it Boring

1. Don't lecture your students. Model ideas and concepts for them and guide them as they try it on their own.

2. Practice routines as a game. Make it fun. 

3. Allow students to be a part of the process. Ask them reflection questions such as, "What worked before break? What needs a reminder?"

Common January Reset Mistakes Teachers Make

1. Too often, teachers try to change everything at once. Not only will you feel overwhelmed, but your students also need the familiarity of regular routines. Any changes made should be subtle and introduced slowly. 

2. I am an over-planner. Over-planning for the first week back can be a mistake because often, I end up with many activities that do not get touched and have to be abandoned or carried over to the following week. Be realistic with your time. It is frustrating and a waste of time to plan so many activities that, in the end, get tossed to the side. 

3. Don't expect instant results. Students may need to brush up on the steps for long division again. They may not remember that new vocabulary word from three weeks ago. They may be too excited to remember the classroom expectations the very moment they arrive back in class. Be patient. Reteach, guide, and encourage them. 

4. For goodness sake, do not compare yourself to someone else's highlight reel on Instagram. If another teacher spent their entire break overhauling everything with a super cute new classroom vibe, as Mel Robbins would advise, "Let them." You walk into your own classroom the first day back with a decluttered space, with a management system that has been working since day one, and you rock it all again. You do not have to have the cutest class on "the gram." 

What Success Actually Looks Like in January

1. Gradual improvement, not immediate clam is what you are looking for. Let's face it, students will not be calm on day one. They will want to tell you all their news. They want to tell all their friends and classmates too. They have eaten way too much sugar. They have watched way too much T.V. and played way too many video games. They have stayed up too late and slept in too late. They have been off their schedules. Some of them have most likely not hear the word "no" in a couple of weeks. So, do not expect perfection as it may have been before break. It will take a little while for students to settle back in. 

2. What you can expect is fewer interruptions by week two or three. Resetting the classroom after a break takes time, but know that the end is in sight. Things will come back together, and it will be quicker than at the beginning of the year when it takes a full 4-6 weeks before things ever feel like I like them to. 

3. Students will once again remember routines without prompts. They did it once (before break) and they can do it again. After the first week, those reminders will taper off. Don't give up hope. Continue to provide consistency and high expectations. 

Encouragement for You, the Teacher

1. January is NOT about the sparkle, it is about stability. Getting students back into familiar routines and work will naturally bring stability. Stability will help them to feel settled and they will calm back down and be ready to get back on track in no time. 

2. Small changes count. A decluttered room or a new seating chart can make the classroom feel more settled. Reviewing a skill or a simple reminder on a classroom procedure matters. 

3. You're not behind....you are recalibrating. Regrouping and reviewing will allow time for students to settle back in and a week or two in you will be at full-steam ahead in your teaching and their learning. If you try to hit the books with full force too early, students will not be ready to learn. They need that review to fall back into place.

How do you reset your classroom in January?

Math Centers for January

Because we have just recently finished our division unit in math, I will be putting out division activities for math centers. Here's a look at what I'm putting out for centers. 

1. Division Color by Numbers

I found some free division color by number sheets on Teachers Pay Teachers for free that I will use during this rotation. I also pair this rotation with a daily spiral review. I require my students to finish their spiral for the day and then they can move on to the color by number. It is a quick and easy station to set up. If you want something similar, or for any skill, just type in TPT for example, division math color by number and set it to free products, you will be sure to find something. 

2. Math Books

I am switching off my math books for rotations. Students will read math division stories. A couple of great ones are The Great Divide and The Doorbell Rang.

3. Division Games

I will put out a few division games that can be played during this rotations. I will include games such as Division War and Division Boxes. I will include a set of division cards that can be used with any regular board game such as Sorry, Candy Land, or Connect 4...students will simply need to answer the division card before they can take their regular turn during the game.

4. Around the Room

I am going to create a set of task cards that are New Year's themed. Students love getting up and moving around the room to do these tasks. It makes the task of doing math problems more enjoyable for them. 

5. Online Math

Our school uses a math program called Dream Box. We will continue to use this as one rotation for building math skills. I can go into the program and assign certain skills, so I can also make this one about division pretty easily. 

There you have it, simple math rotations that won't take a lot of time out of my day to create. 

Making a Class Coloring Book

This is a suggestion that you can easily make custom coloring books for your students. Simply upload a photo to AI and ask it to make a kid-friendly coloring page with bold lines. 

My students are absolutely gonna freak out when they realize that their pictures from this school year have been turned into a coloring book.

I am gifting them this as part of their Christmas gifts this season....I love low cost ideas. 

Here's another low cost idea if you need something more or something else. I love these envelopes that open out to reveal coupons for privileges in class. 

  

You can find these class coupons over here.

Five Favorite December Read-Alouds and Book Picks

During the month of December, I LOVE to bring out all the winter and Christmas-themed books. It just brings me so much joy and helps make the crazy season more predictable and festive. I'm going to share five of my favorite December books for upper elementary. 

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

Themes: Generosity, Forgiveness, and Healing Through Friendship

Summary: A young widow and her son move to a new town. They have lost their precious nativity set. The widow finds a widowed woodcarver who begrudging agrees to carve a new one, but does not promise to have it done before Christmas. The woodcarver, harsh from the wounds of the death of his own wife and child, is gruff and hard to deal with. But over the days and weeks as the widow and her her son visit him while he carves, the woodcarver slowly begins to heal and soften. 

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Theme: Hope, Faith, Community

Summary: A stranger arrives in town. The townspeople each have their own ideas of who he is and what his work is. The children hope he works with candy. One brave girl, goes to see him and is allowed to help him open boxes and crates and fill jars with...candy! As they unpack together, she stumbles upon a new candy she has never before seen...it is a curved candy with red and white stripes. The man patiently shows her the secrets behind the candy and the spiritual ties it has. He tells her that they must tell everyone about the message behind the candy. So, together they go to each house in town passing out candy canes and telling the story of Christ.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Themes: Change, Christmas, Redemption

Summary: One of the churches in town has a beautiful Christmas pageant every year that is put on by the children. It's predictable and comfortable. The same lady directs the play each year, but this year, due to an accident, she is unable. When the new leader takes over, things begin to go from bad to worse. The Herdman family shows up on the scene. Every kid in the church is afraid of the Herdmans. They are infamous for their bad behavior. They waltz into the church and take over, stealing the prize roles of Mary, Joseph, and the wisemen. It seems to be an unholy alliance and people in town are up in arms over the whole ordeal. But change comes to the Herdmans, as they practice and perfect their roles. And in the end, everyone says it was truly the best Christmas pageant ever. 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (with novel or picture book options)

Theme: Triumph of Good Over Evil, Gift Giving, Hospitality, and Redemption

Summary: To escape the effects of the war, a family of four children are sent away to stay with a relative in his big house. While playing one day, one of them stumbles into the wardrobe and into a magical land. Upon returning to the house, no one believes that she went to another world until they too unwittingly discover it for themselves. In this land, Narnia, it is perpetually winter, a curse from the white witch. The children find themselves in all sorts of adventures, including their youngest brother being kidnapped by the witch. They team up with the other creatures to win him back, but that involves sacrifice...the ultimate sacrifice. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Theme: Jealousy, Community, Materialism, Transformation

Summary: In a magical land on a tiny snowflake live the Whos. In the town of Whoville, Christmas is a time of gluttony, showing off, and thinking of ones self. The Grinch, who lives on the outskirts of town, was ostracized as a child and now keeps to himself most of the time, only coming out occasionally to terrorize the town. Cindy Lou Who begins asking questions about the Grinch and winds up feeling sorry for him. After the Grinch steals Christmas, the other Whos are upset at Cindy for being to friendly with the him. Cindy sets off to confront the Grinch, helping him and the other Whos realize what is really important isn't things. It is community and friendship.  

What books are on your Christmas reading list this year? 

Christmas Gift-Giving in the Classroom

Favorite Ideas From Student Another Student

One of my all-time favorite gift ideas is for a special gift exchange that doubles as an easy class party. My students love to exchange gifts, but we have all been in classrooms where, (gasp) someone gets the worst gift ever. One year I hosted a totally open gift exchange and one kid brought deodorant. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when another student chose that gift, but thankfully, the kid was super-excited...it was apparently a rite of passage moment. He had graduated into the deodorant-wearing realm and so all ended well....but...it could have ended quite poorly.      

Last year was the year of my favorite gift exchange. I had student bring a new, wrapped board game. It was great for many reasons. 

• It doubled as the perfect classroom party. After presents, we played board games for probably about an hour. Students were laughing and having a great time with friends.
• It gets students off of devices. It is my hope that they will have so much fun with their game that they will play at home with friends and family too.
• It is highly interactive. Board games require interacting with others. It is a great way to foster relationships in and out of the classroom, a skill that devices have greatly hindered.

Favorite Ideas From Teachers to Students

I have done many different gifts over the years for the students in my classroom, but one of the easiest and most budget-friendly is a small gift bag. I purchase an item like a set of Uno cards from Dollar Tree, add a Christmas Pencil, eraser, and some candy. The kids are thrilled with that. 

This year I am doing a spin on this idea, except I am changing out the cards for a can of putty. I was at Target the other day and found these great cans of putty marked down from six dollars to just $2.50. I could not leave them behind. I selected several different kinds, enough for each child in my class. I created a little tag that says, "You're Putty Awesome! Merry Christmas," and I am adding some other small items like pencils and candy. I know my students will be excited about the putty. It was super easy to put together, and it was within the budget that I wanted to spend.

Favorite Ideas From Students to Teachers

My all-time favorite teacher gift was given to two team teachers in my building and put together by their room parents. It was absolutely amazing! I have never personally received this, but it would be perfect. It was a gift card wreath. The room parents asked all the parents to donate gift cards. I am not sure how they did this, but I think it would be even more perfect if they had created a form for the teacher to fill out about favorite stores, restaurants, etc. Then parents could purchase from their list of favorites. 

As a teacher, I love to save my gift cards to do fun outings during summer vacation with my kids. It means a lot that I don't have to spend the money, and it is a gift that keeps on giving.