Coming back to class after a break can be tough for both teachers and students. Many students have just spent several days sleeping in and bumming around, and the last thing they want to do now is get up early and start studying. Remember that the first day is probably going to be a little tough on everyone, especially first thing in the morning. So, try not to plan anything too strenuous right away.
One of the best ways to re-engage students is to make the classroom welcoming. If you can, have something cool planned before the break starts, and in the days leading up to the break, tell your students about it to get them looking forward to coming back after the break. If it is already too late to prep before the break, focus on having a "fun" lesson plan for the first week back. Having a very hands-on first activity can help get students to wake up and get back into a learning mindset.
If you can email your students before they return, you can give them a checklist of things to do so that they are ready for their first day.
Be sure to allow students some ability to catch up with one another. Schools are social environments and socialization is important for learning. If possible, set up a group discussion or set students to work on the assignment in small groups; that way they can engage with each other as well as their study material. Starting the class off with a lecture or a lot of individual work will very likely lead to a lot of disinterested students.
Set goals and expectations on the first day back
Try to outline some of the things you will be doing in the coming weeks or months and set goals for the students to work toward. Having smaller, more manageable goals can be helpful for students who feel overwhelmed being back in the classroom. And it can be helpful for teachers too because it gives you a metric for how well your class is progressing through the material you are assigning.
Make sure you give yourself and everyone else some time to get back into the routine. It can be tough to get back into your routine after a break, so cut yourself and your students a little bit of slack if you're all struggling for the first few days. While maintaining expectations is important, you do not want to go overboard.
Reconnect with your students
Building relationships with your students is always important for a well-run classroom. When returning from a long break, be sure to make time to reconnect with them. Especially if you are not around people close in age to your students, you might not be up to date on the latest fads for their age group. Knowing what is important in your students' lives and what they find cool or interesting can help to make your lesson plans something the students can get excited about.
Have reasonable expectations
Chances are, your students probably forgot some things over the school break. That is OK. You may have to review some of the topics you were working on before building on anything. Leave some time for review if necessary and try not to get too frustrated with students who understood a topic perfectly before the break and now look at you as if you are speaking another language. It takes everyone a little bit of time to resettle.
It takes time for everyone to settle back into a routine after a break. Do not worry if your first day back doesn't go as smoothly as you would like. After about a week or two, everything should be back to a normal rhythm in your classroom.
*This article was originally published by the K12 Teaching Alliance and Tempesta Media
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