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The countdown to winter break can be a mix of excitement and waning patience for students and teachers. Schedules shift, attention spans shrink, and classroom energy rises. During this hectic season, educators should uphold consistent routines and implement thoughtful rituals to help maintain a sense of calm and purpose. A structured classroom can support continued learning and safeguard teachers’ well-being. When teachers use some advance planning, they create an atmosphere in which students are better able to focus, and they set up learning environments that boost post-break success.

Maintain routines and expectations.

Interruptions to routines are a common challenge during this time of year. Routines help students prepare for learning tasks and transitions, as well as understand how to behave during classroom activities; however, these practices can be disrupted by special events and adjusted schedules. When seasonal events disrupt routines, teachers may be tempted to assign busywork or introduce other low-energy activities, but these tasks may not provide enough rigor for students to take their learning seriously. Conversely, teachers may want to capitalize on the impending excitement and introduce stimulating projects, presentations, and experiential learning. However, this type of activity could give students too much leeway and create a disruptive situation. In fact, a good strategy for managing energetic students and changing schedules is to maintain the same expectations and provide the same level of academic rigor as usual. Teachers should not lower their expectations to match student behavior or become stricter in response to disorderly behaviors; instead, they should maintain their normal routines and classroom management procedures.

In order to maximize learning in the days leading up to a break, teachers can clearly restate their classroom rules and expectations and follow through with applying consequences when necessary. Additionally, they should continue to offer a variety of challenging, standard learning activities, as students who are engaged in appropriate work are less likely to misbehave. Finally, teachers can make a plan for managing changes to routines and communicate this plan to students. What activities will take place during short periods? Are there any class periods when students will do activities that are different from the usual?

Support Military-Connected Students During the Holiday Season

As routines shift, the winter holidays can bring added stress or emotional complexity to military-connected students—especially those experiencing deployment, training absences, or other separations from a parent.

Educators can strengthen classroom calm and connection by integrating small, thoughtful practices:

• Acknowledge deployment-aware needs. Teachers who are aware of a deployment (within OPSEC limits) can be more intentional about support. Understanding the deployment situation can help educators anticipate emotional fluctuations, hesitation during celebrations, or an increased need for reassurance (Seasons of My Military Student, n.d.).
• Offer “sendable” or shareable holiday activities. When planning seasonal work, consider activities that students can share with a deployed parent, such as digital cards, photos, class videos, or simple flat items that can be mailed. These alternatives help military-connected students feel included and give them meaningful ways to stay connected to their away parent (Seasons of My Military Student, n.d.).
• Provide flexible participation options. If families are invited to attend a classroom event, students with a deployed parent may appreciate alternatives, such as inviting another trusted adult or allowing the absent parent to participate virtually through a recorded message or brief video call when possible.
• Create space for feelings and reassurance. Some students may feel sadness, guilt, or mixed emotions about celebrating while a parent is far away. To help students stay regulated and connected to their away parent, teachers could invite optional check-ins, validate students’ feelings, and encourage simple ways to help their students share experiences with the absent parent.

These strategies do not replace academic rigor or routines. Instead, they enrich the classroom environment with stability, empathy, and awareness of the diverse experiences students carry into the winter season.

Protect your own well-being.

Teacher exhaustion and burnout are challenges that can occur any time of year but may be more prevalent before winter break, and a teacher’s attitude, positive or negative, can negatively affect the classroom climate. Changing schedules and increased student energy can impact teachers’ mental health. Prioritizing professional self-help can help teachers maintain momentum, prioritize tasks that are important to them, and create more time for self-care. Teachers can engage in professional self-care by re-focusing on their “why” and reminding themselves that their work is meaningful and vital. They should make sure to celebrate small victories; respond to tough days and mistakes with self-compassion; and set boundaries to control what is controllable, such as defining work hours and attending special events outside of school.

Creating calm through stability and intention.

December will likely be a bit chaotic for school professionals, but maintaining intentional classroom rituals such as using morning check-ins, assigning challenging work, and continuing structured transitions can help create stability and help students maintain focus. These practices remind students that even in hectic times, the classroom remains a consistent, welcoming place. By maintaining clear expectations, anchoring your classroom in predictable routines, and supporting your own professional well-being, you can help students navigate the excitement of the season while preserving calm and connection. These small, intentional practices can make a big difference, not only leading up to winter break, but also during any breaks or disruptions.

You can learn more about maintaining rigorous expectations, maximizing structure and predictability, professional self-care, and more on the learning modules page of the School Resources website.