How to Plan Teaching in December So January Feels Easy [Episode 234]

Heidi  0:00

This is episode 234 of Teacher Approved.

 

Heidi  0:05

You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

 

Emily  0:14

And I’m Emily. We’re the creators behind Second Story Window, where we give research based and teacher approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

 

Heidi  0:29

We’re so glad you’re tuning in today. Let’s get to the show.

 

Emily  0:35

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we’re laying out a plan for how to stay on top of your December essentials and still find time to prep for January, and we’re sharing all of our best tips for work packet success.

 

Heidi  0:48

But let’s start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away. So Emily, what do we have this week?

 

Emily  0:55

Tomorrow, invite your students to write a quick thank you note. It can be to a classmate, another teacher, a school staff member, or even to themselves.

 

Heidi  1:05

I love that. You can keep it simple. You know, just fold up a piece of paper and let them write one or two sentences. The act of showing appreciation helps kids slow down, reflect and connect with others.

 

Emily  1:17

It’s such a great way to infuse a little more gratitude into the day. And bonus, it only takes two minutes.

 

Heidi  1:22

If you like this idea or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star rating? Ratings and reviews are one way that new listeners find us, so every one is actually a huge help to us.

 

Emily  1:34

December in the classroom is a strange mix of joy and chaos. On one hand, there’s so much to love about this time of year, the excitement, the traditions, the sparkle in the kids eyes. Being a teacher in December can be so much fun.

 

Heidi  1:49

But on the other hand, you’re juggling performances, assemblies, half days, absences, and a level of collective energy that makes you wonder if someone filled the water fountain with Red Bull.

 

Emily  2:01

In the past, maybe you’ve tried white knuckling your way through lessons while half the class is absent and the other half is bouncing off the walls, or maybe you just gave up entirely.

 

Heidi  2:10

But there is a smarter way to approach December, one that keeps students engaged, protects your sanity and actually set you up for an easier January.

 

Emily  2:19

That’s what we’re talking about today, how to plan content that works with the realities of teaching children in December.

 

Heidi  2:26

So if you joined us last week, you’ll remember that we shared the smooth December framework to help you get ready for January. Instead of trying to prep it all, focus on four specific things: your pockets of prep, your classroom reset plan, your student engagement hook, and your teacher comfort plan.

 

Emily  2:41

If you missed that episode, definitely go back and check it out, because it lays the groundwork for what we’ll be diving into today. Now that you’ve identified your pockets of prep, we’ll make a plan for using them to tackle your December tasks.

 

Heidi  2:54

And planning December starts with an important decision. When are you going to stop teaching new content? We call this, cleverly enough, your stop new content date, and it’s basically what it sounds like. It’s the last day that you’ll introduce anything new to your students before winter break.

 

Emily  3:12

Despite what your pacing guide may say, at some point in December, teaching new content really just stops being productive because kids are too distracted and the absences are too frequent.

 

Heidi  3:23

And then you end up reteaching everything in January anyway, which means you aren’t actually saving time by pushing through. You’re just creating more work for yourself.

 

Emily  3:30

So how do you figure out when that stopping point should be? A good rule of thumb is to plan to stop teaching new content about two to four school days before your winter break starts.

 

Heidi  3:40

Now to figure out your specific day, ask yourself a few questions. First, what is your last full week of school? That’s probably when you want to wrap up any new units.

 

Emily  3:50

Second, when do interruptions start piling up? If you’ve got concerts, assemblies or parties scheduled, those are likely to eat up a lot of your instructional time.

 

Heidi  3:59

And third, which units absolutely must be finished before break? You might have to teach double math lessons for a day or two so that you’re not starting January already behind, but that is doable.

 

Emily  4:09

So take a look at what has to happen before the end of the month, and work backwards from there. Then choose your official stop teaching new content date and write it in your planner. Circle it and make it official.

 

Heidi  4:22

That’s the finish line. Everything before that date, you’re covering your regular content. Everything after that date, you are in a different mode.

 

Emily  4:31

And that shift is where the magic happens, because once you’re past that date, your goal isn’t to teach new material, it’s to reinforce, review, and reset.

 

Heidi  4:40

This time of year, your schedule is as full of interruptions as Swiss cheese is full of holes, and that’s why we call these Swiss cheese weeks.

 

Emily  4:47

We did have a cute name for that. Those are the weeks where there’s a regular day of school planned, but the day is anything but regular.

 

Heidi  4:56

And you know that makes planning really tricky. You can’t pretend it’s business as usual, but you also can’t just throw everything out the window.

 

Emily  5:03

Because you just aren’t going to have the same amount of instructional time that you normally do, you need a clear picture of what’s essential. Take a look at your pacing guide, your scope and sequence, and anything else that informs your planning. What content absolutely has to be covered before you start winter break?

 

Heidi  5:18

These are your must do’s. This is what has to be done before you hit your stop new content date. When time gets short or your kids are distracted, focus on the must do’s and be flexible with everything else. Knowing what you absolutely have to cover helps you recognize where you can make a cut without getting completely behind.

 

Emily  5:37

Of course, no matter how well you plan, the day can still go off the rails if student behavior does too. So next week we will talk about how to keep expectations alive and your classroom running smoothly all the way to break.

 

Heidi  5:49

Okay, are you with us so far? You have now identified your stop new content date, you’ve got a strategy for covering essential content. And now the big question, what do you actually do during those last few days before break if you’re not going to teach any new content?

 

Emily  6:03

So those days are for review, reflection, and reset. Plan as many independent activities as your students can handle, and look for ways to limit how much time you have to spend teaching whole group or small group lessons.

 

Heidi  6:17

Obviously, this is not a long term plan. Your students do need lessons, but two days before a break, is another math lesson really gonna make the difference in their achievement this year?

 

Emily  6:28

No, I think not. In fact, it may make things harder, because your class will be checked out, and trying to force them to focus will lead to resistance and behavior problems and resentment and reteaching later, all the stuff they didn’t absorb. So adopt a Plan B schedule and make everyone’s life happier.

 

Heidi  6:44

Now, to be clear, this is not about time filler. You’re not wasting learning opportunities. You’re just restructuring how that learning happens. Think review worksheets, games, digital practice or educational videos. This is the time to revisit everything that you have covered in the last four months.

 

Emily  7:01

One of my favorite meaningful time fillers was setting up stations and having kids rotate through all the math games that they had learned this year. It got kids moving, it gave them a chance to review, and I got to sneak in a little pocket of prep for my own tasks.

 

Heidi  7:14

You can also use these post new content days to refresh procedures. By December, some of your routines have probably gotten a little sloppy. Tighten these up now so that you can hit the ground running when you return in January.

 

Emily  7:26

Also consider if you want to reset your class jobs, reorganize your classroom library, or have kids clean out their desks, because future you will be so grateful to walk into a tidy, organized classroom in January.

 

Heidi  7:38

And you know, our favorite thing is helping out a future you. And in your planning, don’t forget some joyful structure. These are activities that feel festive and special, but they are still structured and calm. Work packets are one of our favorite forms of joyful structure, and we will talk about those in our teacher approved tip, but also consider seasonal read alouds, kindness challenges or simple art projects.

 

Emily  8:02

The goal is to sprinkle in some seasonal spark while still keeping the structure high and preventing overwhelm.

 

Heidi  8:08

Okay, let’s pull everything together so you know exactly what to do next. Step one, identify your stop, new content date and put it on the calendar. That’s your finish line. Everything before that date is new learning. Everything after that date is for review, reflection, and reset.

 

Emily  8:26

Step two, figure out your December must do’s. These are the lessons and assessments you absolutely need to finish before that date.

 

Heidi  8:33

Inside the December teacher survival kit, there are two pages to help you with this. One is the December content to cover page, and that’s where you list all of the lessons, activities and assessments that you would like to teach. And then, based on that list, you create your must do’s and could do’s page.

 

Emily  8:50

That step alone is a game changer, because it helps you see what really matters and what can wait until January.

 

Heidi  8:55

Step three is to make a list of meaningful activities for those post content days. Think review, projects, or calm seasonal activities that your students can do independently. And there’s a page for this in the survival kit too. It’s organized by categories like review, learning games and videos, so that you can gather all of your ideas in one place.

 

Emily  9:16

In these last few days before the break, plan as many independent activities as your students can handle. This is how you get ahead without adding to your stress. While your students are busy doing their independent work, you’ve created a little pocket of prep time where you can tackle your independent work, meaning all the tasks it takes to wrap up December and plan the start of January.

 

Heidi  9:36

Step four is to make a master list of all of the tasks needed to plan and prepare your December content, your meaningful time fillers, and the first few days back in January. The list will be long, but don’t worry, our next step is our secret weapon. Step five is to use your pockets of prep planner.

 

Emily  9:55

This is the key to the whole system, and here’s why. The pockets of prep planner helps you match every task to your situation. It’s organized around where you are working: digital tasks, classroom tasks, workroom tasks, and by how much time and energy you have.

 

Heidi  10:10

Now, obviously you could do this with just a piece of paper if you don’t have the survival kit, but the survival kit has cool drop down menus so you can quickly tag each task based on priority and the effort that it requires to complete.

 

Emily  10:25

Yeah, it’s a pain to fill it out, but this sheet is the most teacher approved of all our teacher approved tips. We cannot overstate how helpful this is. Let’s say your students are watching a short video. You’ve got 15 minutes, you’re in your classroom and you’re running on low energy. You open your list and see create January welcome slides. Boom, that’s the perfect 15 minute low energy classroom based task for that moment.

 

Heidi  10:48

Without that list, you’re going to be spending your limited pocket of prep thinking, oh, what should I do now? But this way, you can just look at your list. You can see exactly what fits the moment. No decision fatigue, no wasted minutes and no wondering what’s important. You just pick, do, and move on.

 

Emily  11:04

And truly, those small moments add up. A 10 minute pocket here, a 15 minute pocket there, that’s how you’re going to make real progress without working nights or weekends or winter break.

 

Heidi  11:14

Yes. So let’s recap. Step one, pick your stop new content date. Step two, decide your December must do’s. Step three, plan meaningful time fillers. Step four, make your December to do list. Step five, plug those tasks into your pockets of prep planner.

 

Emily  11:33

Follow these steps and you will walk out in December knowing that everything for January is ready to go, and that winter break actually gets to be a stress free break.

 

Heidi  11:43

So now you’ve got a full plan for how to get through December with your sanity intact. But before we wrap up, we want to leave you with one final reminder. The reason that all of this matters.

 

Emily  11:53

This isn’t just about checklists and planners. It’s about protecting your future self. As you’re planning your December, keep in mind what future you needs. What would make walking into your classroom in January feel calm instead of chaotic?

 

Heidi  12:06

Maybe it’s having a stack of January materials already copied and waiting in that January ready bin that you prepared last week. Maybe it’s making sure all of the December decorations are taken down before you leave. Or maybe it’s clearing the stack of papers on your counter so your room feels fresh and organized.

 

Emily  12:22

Use those last few days strategically. While kids are working on their goal setting activity, you’re gathering books for your next read aloud. While they’re doing a work packet, you’re setting up your January math slides.

 

Heidi  12:32

Small bits of prep now save you so much stress later. Future You deserves to walk into January feeling ready, not behind.

 

Emily  12:40

We’d love to hear how you’re preparing for teaching in December. Come join the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

 

Emily  12:47

Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week’s teacher approved tip is prepare some work packets. Tell us about it, Heidi.

 

Heidi  12:59

A work packet is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of worksheets stapled together, but the magic is in how you put it together and how you present it to your class.

 

Emily  13:10

And look, I can hear some eye rolls out there.

 

Heidi  13:12

That’s a skill.

 

Emily  13:14

This is our unpopular opinion. Work packets are not all wrong, and they may sound like boring, busy work. But hear us out, because when you do them right, kids genuinely love them.

 

Heidi  13:25

And we’re not exaggerating, they do get excited.

 

Emily  13:27

Yes.

 

Heidi  13:28

So let’s start with what goes in a work packet. The focus should be on reviewing academic content, but you want to sprinkle in a few just for fun pages to keep the kids engaged. A packet can be any size, but we have found that 12 page packets are really ideal. So you would maybe have four pages of festive math review, four pages of language arts review and four pages of fun.

 

Emily  13:51

That amount of work easily keeps students busy for 90 minutes to two hours. But, and this is the important part, don’t try to do it all in one sitting. The first work session can be longer because the interest is really high. So you could maybe do 30 to 40 minutes in one go. But after that, 20 minute stretches are about as long as kids can manage before they need a break.

 

Heidi  14:11

And the longer you’re doing a packet, you might need to, like, make those stretches a little bit shorter.

 

Emily  14:15

Yeah.

 

Heidi  14:16

So here’s how this might look in your day. After your morning routine, you introduce the work packet, and you give kids 30 or 35 minutes to work on it, and then you know, you take a break for recess.

 

Emily  14:26

When they come back, you could do another 15 minutes of work. And then you do something different, a video, a read aloud, a movement break, and then later in the day, you give them another 20 minutes to keep working on their packets.

 

Heidi  14:38

Now let’s talk about how to make your work packet feel special instead of like a punishment. First try organizing it around a theme. It could be something as broad as winter or December, or something more specific, like gingerbread or penguins.

 

Emily  14:51

The content on each page doesn’t have to be about the theme. You could have a page of two digit subtraction practice, but if there’s a snowman graphic on the page, it feels festive and fun.

 

Heidi  15:01

Yeah, clip art makes it all exciting. Besides giving it a theme, mix up the content. Alternate between math, language arts and fun pages so that it doesn’t feel like a workbook.

 

Emily  15:11

And third, leverage the power of choice. When you introduce the packet to your class, make a big deal about this. You get to decide what order you work in. You can start wherever you want and do the pages in any order.

 

Heidi  15:22

Kids feel so much more invested when they have control over their work. That simple choice transforms this whole experience.

 

Emily  15:30

Now, if there is a specific page you need everyone to complete, like, maybe you want to use one page for a grade, you can include that in the directions, like everyone needs to do the multiplication practice on page three. But after that, you can do the pages in any order.

 

Heidi  15:44

And here is our copy saving tip. Reduce your master pages to 50% and then copy two activities onto one page. Now, if you run those copies double sided, you can fit four activities onto a single sheet of paper.

 

Emily  15:58

And obviously that does reduce the amount of room for writing, and we’ve done this successfully with students as young as second grade, but if you teach first grade or kindergarten, you might want to test out the reduced page size first. In second grade, I feel like some of them enjoy the challenge of having to write in these tiny little spaces.

 

Heidi  16:17

The beauty of work packets is that they are engaging for students, and they give you time to work. While your class is quietly reviewing two digit addition and solving winter themed word searches, you can be preparing materials for January, organizing your classroom and tackling anything else on that pockets of prep list.

 

Emily  16:35

It’s a total win win. Students are doing meaningful review work, and you’re getting ahead instead of falling behind. So if you’re looking for a simple, low stress way to fill some of that post content time in December, give work packets a try. Your students might surprise you with how much they enjoy them.

 

Emily  16:45

To wrap up the show, we’re sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what get your extra credit?

 

Emily  16:52

I’m giving extra credit to the coconut milk bath soak from Herbivore.

 

Heidi  16:59

Okay.

 

Emily  17:00

Listen, this stuff is not cheap. In fact, I’ve had two jars of this for years that I’ve been hoarding because it’s too special. I didn’t want to just use it on any old bath. But I finally decided that was stupid, because they were literally getting dusty. I’m like, I’m going to use them. I’m just going to use them. And then I figured I’d use it up, and then forget all about it. But the bad news is that it actually is amazing, and now I want to buy more. But it smells incredible and it makes your skin feel so soft. So put this on a splurge list for yourself, or a really nice gift for a bath loving friend. And I just saw it’s on a lightning deal on Amazon, so I’m gonna have to go grab a couple more jars.

 

Heidi  17:38

Yeah, that’s a good idea. And think about how you might want to pamper yourself during winter break. Everyone deserves a long, luxurious bath, so might want to grab those.

 

Emily  17:47

That’s why I’m sharing it right now. I figured it would be good for self care or a really good gift idea.

 

Heidi  17:51

Perfect.

 

Emily  17:52

Check it out. Link’s in the show notes. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

 

Heidi  17:56

I guess this is self care, but it’s much less exciting. I’m giving extra credit to the Nexcare max hold waterproof bandages.

 

Emily  18:05

Ooh, la, la.

 

Heidi  18:05

And that’s a mouthful to say. I will put a link to them in the show notes. But if you are at the store and you’re looking at the all of the bandages, these ones have black writing on the front of the box that says max hold. And they definitely live up to the name. It says they hold for up to 48 hours, but literally, after 48 hours, I had to get out my sharpest little craft scissors and do Band Aid surgery to get it off. Like I just couldn’t peel up any of the edges. They were too secure. But the thing is, this hasn’t given me any kind of allergic reaction that I normally get from wearing band aids for a long time. And I actually did try switching over to regular band aids, and by the end of the day, half my leg was covered in hives, so.

 

Emily  18:44

It’s the worst.

 

Heidi  18:45

If you have a need for waterproof band aids, definitely grab a box of bees. I have been very impressed.

 

Emily  18:51

Well, I’ll have to add them to the stash.

 

Heidi  18:55

That is it for today’s episode. Figure out your stop new content date and work backwards from there. You have got this.

 

Heidi  19:04

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I’m Heidi.

 

Emily  19:08

And I’m Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

 

Heidi  19:15

You can connect with us and other teachers in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. We’ll see you here next week. Bye for now.

 

Emily  19:21

Bye.