The holiday season is upon us, and that means the first half of the school year is coming to its unofficial close. Students and teachers alike are excited to start the much-needed break from school. For students, it’s a time to break away from their ordinary routines, and not have to worry about tests, quizzes, and homework. For teachers, it’s an opportunity to take a break and recharge in anticipation of the second half of the school year.

Although, many teachers are not able to take advantage of the holiday break, as they are preoccupied with lesson planning and preparing for students to return. Additionally, it may be difficult to re-engage students after the holidays, also known as the “big break blues.” Educators may find some difficulty in having to reinforce rules, routines, and structure in the classroom.

All hope is not lost! Read on for ways to reignite student engagement after a holiday break!

1) Introducing new and engaging materials/products

Do you have STEM products, robotics, or other engaging materials sitting around collecting dust? What about products that you’ve always wanted to try out or incorporate into your classroom? Coming off a long break is a great opportunity to engage students back into learning with the introduction of STEM products, such as Ozobot, Wonder Workshop, Snap Circuits, UBTECH, or 3D printers like UltiMaker and Formlabs, just to name a few. Students can gain hands-on experience with 21st century skills while learning how to use a new device, sparking curiosity and inquiry-based learning. These products do not just have to be used in the STEM classroom either, as they can be incorporated into social studies, ELA, math and science classes as well.

2) Get them moving!

After a long break, where many of your students may have been occupied watching television or playing video games, helping them get moving will activate learning. Brain breaks, putting on skits, or participating in debates are just a few ways to get students active. This can help create positive impacts on the brain, such as the improvement of cognition, mood, and attention span.

3) Socialization

Getting back to interacting with peers after a long break is crucial, as many students are in their fundamental years for developing socialization skills. Make sure to go over classroom rules and have students practice politeness and respect towards others. Make it a point to highlight these details on a daily basis, as this will help students adjust back into their regimens and routines. A great idea to continue building socialization skills is to have younger and older students interact with each other through a buddy system. This is a surefire way to practice communication and learn respect for students of different grades and ages. With their buddies, students can create a project, teach a skill, or have a reading workshop. There are many great ways to bring the buddy system into your school to improve socialization.

3) Positive praise

Maxime Lagace once said, “the simplest positive action is a smile.”  A long holiday break may not always be a positive experience for every student. Many times, it can be the complete opposite. So, as your students come back to the classroom, greet them with a smile. Praise your students whenever you get the opportunity, whether it be as a whole class or individually. A teacher’s praise can boost a student’s confidence as well as their self esteem. Expressions of praise that highlight a specific action go a lot farther than just a “good job.” Gratitude can also improve student well-being, nurture relationships, and activate learning.

Check out these great sessions on our OTIS platform that can help reignite student engagement after a holiday break, whether it be activity ideas, getting started with STEM products, or effective brain breaks:

• UBTech Basics
• Digital Storytelling Around the Campfire with Dash and Dot
• Tech-infused Learning with Ozobot
• Designing 3D Family Crests
• 6 Steps to Prioritizing Performance Based Assessments
• Brain Breaks for Movement and Alertness

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more content on the Teq Talk blog or our YouTube channels OTIS for educators and Tequipment.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and support with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology and strategies that spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening!

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