Is it just me or does it seem like the year is running smoothly, students finally got expectations down, and you are chugging along until… you take a look at the calendar and see it says October 1st. All of a sudden those sweet hard working students disappear, chaos ensues, and then you toss too much anticipation for Halloween candy and parent teacher conferences, it’s enough to howl at the moon! Needless to say, teaching in October is TOUGH. Know that you aren’t alone! In this post, you are going to learn some easy and helpful tips to get your October back on track and help you keep your sanity until it is OVER.
Are Students Too Comfortable?
One thing that you may have noticed with your students is that they have finally gotten comfortable and those expectations may start to slip. Teaching in October is a test of boundaries and consistency. I encourage you to stay strong and don’t deviate from your norms and expectations. Never feel like it’s too late to stop and have EVERYONE practice. Whether it’s August, October, or even May, if students need a reminder, have them practice. This will help you get over that October slump when students seem to push every button and boundary. Just know that it is completely normal and it happens to all of us! If you need some more tips with practicing routines and procedures, check out THIS post!
Shake Things Up while Teaching in October
Maybe students are following directions, but things are feeling mundane. Never fear, simply shake that routine up! Embrace the chaos of Halloween and add in some fun themed centers. Students will love the magic of this fun, low prep activity. They can practice with different literacy or math skills and it’s a super simple way to change up from the norm. The best part is the prep is easy and the engagement is high. Students will beg to complete this activity all month long and it’s SO easy to change out the skills.
Are students starting to focus less on your call and responses you’ve been using? Teaching in October means to shake it all up so try some fun October themed callbacks instead! Keep them on their toes and engaged in learning! Check out a few of them below.
Motivate students with an extra incentive. One of our favorite easy shake-ups is with whole-class rewards! Students work together towards a fun, easy, and FREE reward they choose! As them demonstrate great choices, they earn a piece of the reward. They get to watch the surprise themed scene being built as they get closer to their reward. They LOVE it!! It’s so motivating and fun. Add Velcro dots and re-use all month long as they earn rewards. Take a look at the Halloween reward below!
Take a Break
When all else fails, TAKE A BREAK. Sometimes teaching in October looks like using those sick days and taking the time to care for yourself. You and your students will be better off in the long run. I promise they will be totally fine for a day or two without you, and even if they aren’t, YOU will be better off when you return. Notice how you’re feeling and if you feel like you can’t even anymore. That’s the time to take a break or possibly even before that feeling begins. Take a day or two off each month so that you still have your joy. Worried about leaving students? Make a sub binder so that it’s like you’ve never even left!
Editable Substitute Teacher Binder and Tub
Find Joy Teaching in October
In the world of scripted curriculums, assessments, and escalated behaviors, it’s important to find and keep the joy in teaching. How? Well with fun themed activities of course! While we have tight schedules to stick to and curriculums that need to be followed, it’s still important to have fun. They are only little once right? So how to we keep that joy and stick to schedules? We integrate where possible! Working on fact families during math? Skip a lesson (shhh I didn’t say that!) and complete a math craft.
Working on a specific reading comprehension skill, use a themed book instead!
What’s the latest science skill? Use the scientific method and complete an experiment! Students will love completing this science experiment with all that leftover candy corn. Go through the entire process and see what happens! The best part is you can grab this activity FREE by subscribing below!
Mid-Year Refresh or Reset?
Now you may be saying to yourself, these ideas are great but we are REALLY struggling over here. It’s a classic dilemma we educators face midyear, especially teaching in October – the choice between a classroom reset or a refresh. Think of a reset like a superhero swooping in when chaos reigns supreme. Your stress levels are hitting the roof, instructional time is slipping away, and the students? Well they’re kind of doing their own thing. This is when you know you need the big overhaul- it’s time to hit the reset button.
Now on the flip side, a refresh is like a long awaited spa day for your classroom. Your systems are pretty solid, but they just need a little extra love. Maybe you simply need a tweak or revamp here and there, a few reminders to students about expectations, and voila! Things can get back on track rather smoothly. No matter how you’re feeling, I’ve got you covered! Head over to THIS blog post and take the quiz to see what you need!
I really hope you enjoyed learning some quick tips to help you and your students not just survive, but THRIVE, while teaching in October. 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 Halloween Science Experiment 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.
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