Holiday breaks are inevitable throughout the school calendar. Whether it is a summer vacation, Thanksgiving, or winter break, students will take a break from learning for a specific time. These holiday breaks are necessary for student’s mental health and wellness. However, these holiday breaks can distract students regardless of age and level of education. Students will likely return to school sluggish and unprepared for the next learning phase.
The post-holiday feeling is incurable; fortunately, teachers can devise strategies to engage students in learning after a break. This article presents some of the creative strategies teachers use to ensure student engagement at The Tenney School.
Begin With a Clean Slate
It is important for teachers to prepare for the new learning season. The post-break transition can be smooth when you preempt the learning materials before the break. A devised teaching schedule ensures that you introduce new concepts and learning material after the break. Students will likely grasp new ideas instead of recalling information learned before the break. For units that require prerequisite information, ensure that you go through the past units to remind the students of concepts learned in the past. Do not assume that the students automatically remember the things you taught.
Focus on the Essentials
Focus on what students must accomplish at the start of a learning session. The introductory content should build a foundation for complex content. The tedious learning tasks can come later. You can reintroduce the more complex tasks as the students get used to the learning environment.
Ease the Learning Process
While breaks are essential for students and teachers to recharge, it is tempting to over-relax. Ease the students into the next learning phase instead of giving new content at a go. Engage students in post-break activities to get back the rhythm of learning. For instance, ask the students to recap their breaks through storytelling or writing. These activities will engage the students’ minds before they can handle advanced learning.
Introduce Icebreaker Exercises
Icebreaker exercises include activities to welcome and warm up students in a class. They allow the students to interact with each other and the teacher. They break any barriers and tension that may exist before the start of a class session. Examples of icebreaker exercises are mingling games, snowball activities, observation games, and birthday lineups.
Switch It Up
When introducing a new unit, be creative in how you present it. Essays and assignments, in the beginning, can be demotivating. However, innovative projects will keep them on their toes. Creating creative teaching projects to deliver the learning content will keep students engaged. You can introduce new teaching methods and combine them with techniques that previously worked for you.
Create Short-Term Goals
Students are sluggish at the beginning of a school year due to the lengthy learning period. The assignments and tests may make the months seem like a long time. Create short-term goals to keep students focused. Short-term goals include homework assignments, reading comprehension, and note-taking. You can set long-term goals, but the focus after the break should be on getting students on board before introducing comprehensive projects.
Although extended breaks are necessary for a school calendar, they can be a distraction for the students. The students tend to lose interest, and focusing when they return can be a task. Teachers should utilize the break to think about the past learning period, analyzing the strategies that worked and those that did not. In addition, they can come up with ways to engage the students after the break and helps a smooth transition into the next learning period. The strategies help the students at The Tenney School prepare for the next learning period, ensuring they get the best learning experience. Reach out to us today for more tips.