The Progression
December 2015
7 Teacher Tips to Surviving the Week Before the Holidays
1. Don't build anticipation.
- Assemblies, presentations, and other holiday events are unavoidable in December, but you can prevent your class from getting over-excited by staying focused on daily routines instead of special activities.
2. Resist the urge to ease up on your behavioral expectations.
- If the kids run to line up, shake your head and nonchalantly tell the whole class to sit back down and try again. “I know you’re excited about the chorus performance. But we need to line up in a quiet and orderly way, just like we always do. Let’s see which table is ready to try again.
3. Review your procedures and expectations.
- It’s probably been a few weeks or months since you’ve articulated and modeled some of your classroom procedures for the entire class. Take the time to remind them what is expected.
4. Integrate high-interest projects or group work into your regular routines.
5. Don't feel pressure to do all the elaborate holiday stuff that other teachers do.
- Figure out some simple festive things you can do that won’t create a lot of stress, and stick with those.
6. Keep the last day before break low-key.
- Give meaningful work assignments that the kids will enjoy completing, and enjoy the last day together. This will also help you…
7. Get prepared for January before you leave.
- There’s nothing worse than coming back to work after a week off to discover silver glitter and unwritten thank you cards all over your desk.
No More DOL!
Lauren Roy and I have been working on a daily grammar review that connects with the text that you are reading. It's called "Mentor Sentence". Each day we complete a different activity using the "mentor sentence". The students have been excited. They are pumped when they come across the sentence in the text. If you are interested in finding out more about this, please see me or ask Mrs. Roy about it. I would love to come to your room too!
Getting "Appy" with it!
Totally Free-Ten Frame Fill
The app works with students to help them add within 10 using the Ten Frame. It is self-checking as well. I have task cards available if someone is interested in using this app.
Beth Hooper, Instructional Coach
Email: beth.hooper@cpsb.org
Website: http://www.cpsb.org/Domain/148
Location: 3359 Gerstner Memorial Drive, Lake Charles, LA, United States
Phone: 337-217-4490