So, the school holidays have wrapped up, and now we’re easing back into the usual routine. But, let’s be honest, getting back into the swing of things isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s like hitting the reset button when students return to the familiar school routine. So, how can we make the return a little smoother and a bit more fun? Explore these engaging ‘Back from Break’ activities that will help your students get back on track while giving them a chance to share the highlights from their holiday adventures.
Summer Reflection
There’s a holiday break in every season, but the longest holiday break happens during the summer. So, if you’re getting students back into routine after the summer holidays, try giving them a fun summer-themed holiday reflection activity to try like the What I Did This Summer activity pictured below. These simple, open-ended prompts allow your students to share their favourite parts of the holiday break, and help you get a glimpse at some of their interests as the new school year begins.
You can find a copy of the template below in my What I Did This Summer Reflection Activity Pack.
Holiday Story Sharing
If you’re returning after winter, autumn or spring break, you can still give students a chance to share their favourite holiday moments with some holiday story sharing time. Simply have students talk in small groups or through a class discussion to share a highlight from their break. This works particularly well if you give them a chance to draw a picture of what they’d like to share first so that they can share their drawing as they recall their holidays.
Wellbeing Check-in
Once you’ve given students a chance to share something about their holidays, it’s a good idea to check in with how they’re going emotionally. Transitioning back to school after a long break can give students many different feelings. That’s why using a simple wellbeing check-in like the one pictured below can be a helpful part of your weekly or even daily classroom routine.
The ready-to-use template below can be accessed here: Student Wellbeing Check-in Templates.
Icebreaker Conversations
When returning to the classroom after a break, it can be helpful to have some conversation prompts handy to help get students talking. I created a set of icebreaker conversation prompt cards to use with my students, and if you’d like a set that are ready to print and use in your classroom you can click here for the conversation prompt cards pictured below. Using conversation prompts can help get whole class discussions started or can be used in small groups to help students reconnect.
Goal Setting
Finally, returning to the classroom after a holiday break provides a great opportunity to set and revisit learning goals. Typically, the new year is when many students set new learning goals, and using a set of New Year’s Resolution Worksheets like the ones pictured below can make this extra engaging. You can click here to find your copy of New Year’s Resolution Worksheets for Students.
Of course, goals can and should be set at any time throughout the year though, so having some more general goal setting pages like the one below can help guide students through the goal setting and goal-tracking process. Click here for a set of Back To School Goal Setting Templates for Your Students.
All the best as you settle back into routine with your students after the holiday break! I hope that these ideas help you to reconnect with your students. You can use the links to buy your own copies of the printable resources I’ve referenced in this blog post.
Do you want some tips for helping students reflect on their learning while you’re here? Then have a read through my post of Ideas for Helping Students Reflect on Learning.
P.S. I love to hear how my tips and resources are helping you in your teaching, so leave a comment to let me know!
Have a question or a request? You can contact me at blueskydesignsbymrst@gmail.com.
The Musings of Mrs T 