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?
