Sweet 'N' Sauer Firsties

  • Sweet 'N' Sauer Firsties
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Course
  • Freebies
  • Contact

Re-Establishing Norms After Long Breaks

You’re sitting in your house, most likely in pajamas when it hits you… your teacher break is coming to an end. Your much needed, well deserved, and probably a tad bit too short of a break is almost over. If you’re anything like me, back to school nightmares of oversleeping on your first day back or flashbacks of the first day when no rules or routines have been established might creep in. Yikes!

Re-Establishing Norms Blog Post

Not to mention, it’s back to the overwhelming stress of planning lessons again, waking up early, and wearing real clothes. It’s A LOT to say the least and I completely understand. I would love to lend a helping hand. The first few days back for everyone generally are ROUGH! But there are ways to make it easier on yourself and your kiddos! After reading this, you’ll walk away with a good feeling when thinking about going back to school after winter, fall, or spring breaks! I hope you take some of these great ideas to get back together in a fun way! 

Classroom Community Reconnection Activities

I like to keep in mind that not all of our students may have had a great break. Some students may not have eaten enough and couldn’t wait to get back to have consistent meals. Other students may have had the time of their life on a great family vacation. Either way it goes, it’s really important to make space for all students’ feelings and help students feel safe and valued at school again. Generally, I stay away from having students journal about their break. Instead, here are some of my favorite back to school activities to do together!

Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up

I don’t know about you, but in my experience, the students are typically SUPER excited to be together again and just want to TALK! So why not let them? I like to start with Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up. This is a great way to get students moving and talking. If you’ve never done this activity, every student stands up with their hand up in the air. They walk around the room until they find another student to pair up with. We have “rounds” and will typically have 3 or so rounds so that students have an opportunity to reconnect with different classmates. You can provide different topics for students to talk about such as, “What are some reasons why you are excited to be back at school?” or “What is something new you learned while you were gone?” The possibilities are endless and the kids truly enjoy the conversations. I usually let students talk for about 3 or so minutes per round. You can hear when it starts to quiet and they begin wrapping up their conversations.

We do discuss some “rules” during this activity. Some examples are: 

  • We pair up with the first person we lock eyes with 
  • We are kind and that means saying things like, “I would love to talk with you.”
  • We strive to talk with different people we don’t normally work with
  • We make sure to include someone that may not have a partner. 

Classroom Community Ideas

Connection Circles

 Connection Circles are a sacred time in our classroom. They help us reconnect, foster empathy for others, and they hold space for tough discussions as needed. These connection circles are a safe haven to share our thoughts and feelings and students gladly welcome them after long breaks. It is another great way to get students talking and reflecting on the topic at hand. If you would like to learn more about Connection Circles and how to use them, you can check out this blog post HERE.

Connection Circle Tips

Show and Share

A super simple and easy way to have students share things dear to their heart and it’s a nice easy transition activity to get acclimated with being back in the classroom. Students are able to bring and share something that was special from their break, such as a toy or a favorite book. You can schedule in share times throughout the first few days OR you can set up a pretty amazing gallery walk of items. This allows you to plan one activity where all students can put their special object on display (their desk) while we all walk around and take a look. You can even extend this to have students write a note or record a video telling about their item for students to read or play when they get to their piece on the gallery walk! 

Rock, Paper, Scissors Championship 

 Another fun activity to get students up and moving is a rock, paper, scissors championship! Everyone finds a partner and plays rock, paper, scissors. Whoever wins gets to find another opponent. Whoever loses becomes the winner’s cheerleader. I like this activity for many reasons. They get to move, they get to practice being someone’s supporter, and they get to have fun! They continue playing this until there are two opponents left, while the rest of the class are designated cheerleaders for their player. They have SO much fun and it’s the perfect way to work on sportsmanship! 

Rock, Paper, Scissors Championship

Hot Seat

 Hot Seat is a great way to help students feel special and for students to learn more about each other. One student takes the “Hot Seat” while the other students get to ask questions. The students have 1 minute to ask as many questions that they can about the student in the hot seat. Some questions I’ve heard are, “What’s your favorite color?”, “Do you like dogs or cats better?”, and “Do you have a favorite toy?” It is totally student led and the students always enjoy being in the hot seat, as well as asking questions about their peers. Students in the hot seat can always pass on a question they don’t want to answer to ensure everyone feels comfortable. This is a great time filler throughout the first few days back when you’re trying to get back in your groove.

Fun Ways to Reestablish Expectations

As educators, we spend a lot of time with our students building a community and teaching expectations. It pays off during times like these because if established, it’s really nice when students can pick back up the routine quickly. However, at times it is hard to get back into a routine and consistency is key for these moments. After coming back from breaks, I like to spend the first few days reestablishing our classroom rules and expectations as a refresher to everyone. Here are some quick and easy ways to get everyone back on track! 

Role Playing

I’m one for practicing an expectation in the moment and I believe role playing is a powerful way to teach them to students. We role play what our expectations look like, sound like, almost looks and sounds like, and the most hilarious part- the not at all. I ALWAYS practice the not at all, which of course students love and they think you are so silly but the reason being is that you never want students practicing wrong behaviors. If after a break my students are being lax on an expectation, we might have a quick discussion reviewing what it looks like, then I might do a few silly “what it doesn’t look like”, and then we practice together. It’s super simple, but a great and entertaining way to quickly reestablish our expectations. If you would like to learn more about teaching routines and procedures, check out this must have teacher guide HERE!

Beginning of the Year Teacher Survival Guide

TEACHER SURVIVAL GUIDE

Interactive Resources 

There are tons of fun ways to review expectations! Sometimes we need a review even without a break! There are tons of quick activities to re-visit the various expectations that can be completed throughout the first few days back together from a break, or whenever you need them. Below you’ll see some of the resources I like to use for a short yet effective review of things like conflict resolution and making good choices. It’s always a good time to review expectations!

Game On

If you make ANYTHING a game, it automatically makes it fun! That’s the rule!! So why not make reviewing expectations a game too? You could easily create a quick quiz of expectations on platforms such Kahoot or Nearpod to turn your content into engaging fun! Students are able to work individually or in groups! If you would like to learn more about these types of digital resources, you can HERE!

Mystery Reward

This is an idea I learned about a few years ago on Instagram that is a HIT! It’s super simple and EFFECTIVE! Talk about a win win. All you need is an anchor chart and some Post Its and if you’re a teacher, I know you have those on deck! You simply write a class reward- i.e. game day, pajama day, movie day, learn outside day, etc.,-  on an anchor chart. Make it something really engaging that your students WANT to work for. After you’ve written your reward, you are going to cover it with sticky notes that have expectations for students to meet written on them. Some of these may include- everyone cleaned up at the end of the day, all the books were returned to the classroom library correctly, a friend earned a compliment in the hallway, etc. These are rewards students will work towards TOGETHER! Students will be excited to work to meet these expectations in order to remove the sticky notes to reveal the hidden reward! They LOVE it! Want it done for you? When you subscribe, you’ll have access to EVERYTHING you need… just print and go! See the exclusive freebie pictured below!

Classroom Mystery Reward Idea Classroom Mystery Reward Idea Classroom Mystery Reward Idea

Classroom Mystery Reward Freebie

Love this FREE resource?

Sign up now and get exclusive access to this freebie and many more in the continuously growing freebie library!

Have Students Take the Lead

Just like making things into games, having students be the ones in charge instantly engages students and helps them buy into their own learning. So let students be the ones in charge! Divide students into groups and give each one a poster. You could give students an example list of expectations or not and let them brainstorm their own. Students work together to create a poster of their expectation(s) and share with the class! This is a great way to see what they know AND get them working together!

These are just SOME of the many ways to create a smooth transition back from breaks that make your time back together more meaningful and less stressful for YOU. I hope you learned some great tips and feel a bit better about being back together. Do you have a great tip or idea for teachers? Leave a comment below! Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list! Not only will you get the most up to date tips, tricks, and classroom projects… and of course more fun FREEBIES including The Classroom Mystery Reward FREEBIE! You will also have exclusive access to tons of digital how to videos! If you would like to learn about this and other things happening in my classroom follow me  @sweetnsauerfirsties on Instagram. 

To follow me on TPT and get all the latest updates on HALF OFF new products, click HERE!

sweetnsauerfirsties

Love these ideas but don’t want to lose them? Don’t forget it, PIN it below!

Spread the Love

69
Shares

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

«
»

Back to School, Classroom Activities, Classroom Community, Classroom Management, Social Emotional, Teaching 0

Newsletter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe via Email

About This Site

A fun place to be apart of the educational journey. Full of all things teaching! The good, the bad, and even the ugly. Join my experiences and subscribe to my email list to get the most up to date tips and tricks.

Search

Categories

Latest on Instagram

Have you seen this brand new book?! Hello Anger Have you seen this brand new book?! 

Hello Anger is by @jessicasinarski and discusses how to deal with that overwhelming feeling of anger. 😡 

This amazing book helps children understand how to better control their anger and learn strategies to manage it. 

You can W*I*N your own copy now! Entering is easy!

1️⃣ Make sure you’re following me 

2️⃣ Make sure you’re following @nationalcenterforyouthissues 

3️⃣ Tag some friends who would love to win too!

✨ BONUS: Share this to your stories and make sure to tag me! ✨

I will choose 2 LUCKY WINNERS Sunday evening! ❤️
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #growthmindset #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #socialemotionaldevelopment #socialemotionallearning #socialskills #childrensbooks #readaloud #nationalcenterforyouthissues
Which type are you?! I’m like a good mix of bo Which type are you?! 

I’m like a good mix of both! 🤣 Let us know which one you are below! ⬇️

Learn 5 easy end of the year organization tips too!
{🔗 on profile}
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #classroomdecor #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherquotes #teacherorganization #classroomorganization #teacherfun
It’s time for #tptfreebie Friday! This week I It’s time for #tptfreebie Friday! 

This week I have an EXCLUSIVE End of the Year Organizational Checklist FREEBIE! 🎉

This checklist can help you pack up your classroom whether you are getting stuff stored, moving classrooms, or even... moving schools! 😬

There’s also a blank version for you to add your own to-do items! Grab yours now! 📦 
{🔗 on profile}
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherbloggers #primaryteacher #endoftheschoolyear #classroomorganization #teacherorganization #teacherblogger
How adorable is this end of the year treat from @s How adorable is this end of the year treat from @sunshineandrainbowsinteaching?! 

Check out her page to learn how to make these delicious snacks! 😋 
•
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #lastdaysofschool #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #endoftheschoolyear #lastdayofschool #studentgifts #ilovemystudents
If this ain’t the truth! 😂 What’s your go If this ain’t the truth! 😂

What’s your go to candy? Mine is Reese’s for sure!

Image credit @adventuresinkinder 
•
•
•
•

#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #classroomfun #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #teachermemes #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachershare #endoftheschoolyear #lastdayofschool #teacherhumor #teacherfunny #teacherquotes
One of my favorite books to end the year together. One of my favorite books to end the year together. *Warning* I cry reading it EVERY year! 😭

When is your last day?

Check out my end of the year blog post for more fun ways to end the school year together! 🥳
{🔗 on profile}
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #classroomcommunity #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #lastdaysofschool #primaryteacher #endoftheschoolyear #lastdayofschool #childrensbooks #readaloud
Now what if you’re a teacher AND a parent? 😵‍💫
•
•
•
•

#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teacherhumor #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #teachermemes #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachershare #endoftheschoolyear #lastdayofschool #teacherquotes #teachermom #teachertired
Still looking for an end of the year gift for your Still looking for an end of the year gift for your students?

Writing notes to students is one of my favorite gifts for them. 

1. It ensures they have something to read over the summer.

2. You can ALWAYS find great dollar book deals from @scholasticbookclubs 

3. It’s a great memory for them to look back on year after year. 

Learn more fun ways to end the year with students now! 🥳
{🔗 on profile}
•
•
•
•

#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #studentgifts #teachingtips 
 #igconnect4edu #lastdaysofschool #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #ilovemystudents #teacherinspiration #classroomcommunity #lastdayofschool #endoftheschoolyear  #studentgifts
Have you ever let your students help you clean up Have you ever let your students help you clean up the room at the end of the year?

When we begin to take down the things on the walls, one of the things to go is our word/sound wall. 

Well who says this can’t turn into a game? When you take down all the important words from the year together, put them in a circle and have a word/sound hunt for them. 

The kids LOVE it and are so engaged. Bonus… an area of your room is cleared too!! 😉

Learn more easy end of the year pack up tips now!
{🔗 on profile}
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #classroomfun #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #teachingtips #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachershare #endoftheschoolyear #lastdayofschool #teacherhacks #classroomcommunity #classroommanagement

Latest on Facebook

Lindsay Sauer

7 hours ago

Lindsay Sauer
Have you seen this brand new book?! Hello Anger is by @jessicasinarski and discusses how to deal with that overwhelming feeling of anger. 😡 This amazing book helps children understand how to better control their anger and learn strategies to manage it. You can W*I*N your own copy now! Entering is easy!1️⃣ Make sure you’re following me 2️⃣ Make sure you’re following @nationalcenterforyouthissues 3️⃣ Tag some friends who would love to win too!✨ BONUS: Share this to your stories and make sure to tag me! ✨I will choose 2 LUCKY WINNERS Sunday evening! ❤️••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #growthmindset #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #socialemotionaldevelopment #socialemotionallearning #socialskills #childrensbooks #readaloud #nationalcenterforyouthissues ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

15 hours ago

Lindsay Sauer
Which type are you?! I’m like a good mix of both! 🤣 Let us know which one you are below! ⬇️Learn 5 easy end of the year organization tips too!{🔗 on profile}••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #classroomdecor #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherquotes #teacherorganization #classroomorganization #teacherfun ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

1 day ago

Lindsay Sauer
It’s time for #tptfreebie Friday! This week I have an EXCLUSIVE End of the Year Organizational Checklist FREEBIE! 🎉This checklist can help you pack up your classroom whether you are getting stuff stored, moving classrooms, or even... moving schools! 😬There’s also a blank version for you to add your own to-do items! Grab yours now! 📦 {🔗 on profile}••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherbloggers #primaryteacher #endoftheschoolyear #classroomorganization #teacherorganization #teacherblogger ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

2 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
How adorable is this end of the year treat from @sunshineandrainbowsinteaching?! Check out her page to learn how to make these delicious snacks! 😋 •••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #lastdaysofschool #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #endoftheschoolyear #lastdayofschool #studentgifts #ilovemystudents ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

2 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
If this ain’t the truth! 😂What’s your go to candy? Mine is Reese’s for sure!Image credit @adventuresinkinder ••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #classroomfun #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #teachermemes #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachershare #endoftheschoolyear #lastdayofschool #teacherhumor #teacherfunny #teacherquotes ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Latest on Pinterest

  • Are you struggling with your classroom seating arrangement for your elementary classroom? Check out my ultimate flexible seating guide that you can use to make your back to school planning easy. Learn all of the benefits of flexible seating and how it can enhance student engagement and learning in the classroom. I include a list of other classroom seating ideas like wobble stools and scoop rockers. I also talk about flexible seating expectations and how to use a flexible seating choice board.
  • Are you looking for some classroom organization ideas that you can use for the end of the school year? Check out these 5 easy time saving tips for teachers on how to organize your classroom. Read everything from my ideas for teacher decluttering, how to have students help you organize your classroom, and use my end of the year checklist to help you remember what to bring home for the summer. These organizing tips will help with packing up your classroom so you can leave for summer and relax.
  • Back to school is right around the corner! As a busy teacher, you are probably feeling overwhelmed with your long back to school to-do list! Today, I am sharing how you can crush the first week of school. I am sharing back to school activities for building a strong classroom community including getting to know you activities. I also also a back to school survival guide and back to school read alouds. Find first week lesson plans and more!
  • Are you getting ready to go back to school with some classroom planning? Check out my ultimate back to school guide for teachers in this blog post. I will give you everything you need to succeed for the beginning of the school year with these teaching resources. See how I set up my classroom, how I incorporate social emotional learning, how to create structure and expectation for students and much more. You also won’t want to miss my back to school freebie - a classroom setup checklist.
  • Are you working on putting together your classroom library? This blog post will give you some classroom tips and tricks for classroom library organization. You will want to start by book leveling to have an organized system for students to access books. After books are leveled, I love to organize books by genre in my elementary classroom. I even link to the editable classroom library labels I use. These classroom organization tips will help you see reading growth with your elementary students.
  • How did your elementary classroom react when you told them about starting a new math skill of adding with 3 addends? Students can feel nervous about this new math lesson since they are used to only having 2 addends. Today, I give you my fun math ideas for kids with 3 addend addition. Check out all of my math activities, including 3 addend mats, QR task cards, self checking task cards and so much more. I even have ideas for how to include unknown addends. Use during math workshop & math cente
  • Back to school is right around the corner! As a busy teacher, you are probably feeling overwhelmed with your long back to school to-do list! Today, I am sharing how you can crush the first week of school. I am sharing back to school activities for building a strong classroom community including getting to know you activities. I also also a back to school survival guide and back to school read alouds. Find first week lesson plans and more!
  • Are you struggling with your classroom seating arrangement for your elementary classroom? Check out my ultimate flexible seating guide that you can use to make your back to school planning easy. Learn all of the benefits of flexible seating and how it can enhance student engagement and learning in the classroom. I include a list of other classroom seating ideas like wobble stools and scoop rockers. I also talk about flexible seating expectations and how to use a flexible seating choice board.
  • Are you getting ready to go back to school with some classroom planning? Check out my ultimate back to school guide for teachers in this blog post. I will give you everything you need to succeed for the beginning of the school year with these teaching resources. See how I set up my classroom, how I incorporate social emotional learning, how to create structure and expectation for students and much more. You also won’t want to miss my back to school freebie - a classroom setup checklist.

Copyright © 2022 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs

 

Loading Comments...