THE HOLIDAY HUSTLE The holiday hustle—that unpredictable time between Thanksgiving and winter break and the start of the new year (Spring Semester). You are likely reflecting on how you did during Fall Semester. You may even be thinking you failed a few times. Someone may have even told you “don’t crack a smile until you have returned from the holiday”. You may feel that you have bonded with students but, your classroom management is not what you imagined it to be. Even though this may be the reality, the “silver lining” is- you did it! You should feel a sense of accomplishment. You are now free to write new lesson plans, reset or reestablish routines and maybe even change your classroom setup. THINGS TO CONSIDER OVER THE BREAK TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF! It is easy to get caught up in the work and forget about your personal health and well-being. Take the time to reflect on the past semester and to ensure you are rested and reenergized for a fast-paced, rigorous Spring semester. REFLECT What worked? What did not work? What routines need an adjustment? What subject area did you rock this year? What subject area could you use a little more support in? Now that you have reflected… identify a few focus areas for next semester that you would like to tweak. GET ORGANIZED If you are already organized, move to the next suggestion, otherwise keep reading. This is the perfect time (if not the only time) to organize your things and create and/or update your filing system as needed. LESSON PLAN Why not take the time now to get ahead of the curve, instead of working desperately to catch up to it? What’s nice about lesson Instructional Impact Leader Program NEW TEACHER SUPPORT SPRING SEMESTER GUIDE