Returning to school after winter break can be tough! To ease the transition back to school, I like to spend some time refocusing and reflecting. The New Year is the perfect time to practice metacognition and goal setting before diving into content.
To help make the New Year a little easier, I’ve put together this list of 5 easy-to-use, no-prep activities. Each one is designed to provide time for reflection, renewal, and refocusing in the New Year!
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Choosing a Word of the Year
In recent years, a choosing a Word of the Year has been a popular way to ring in the New Year. (Check out my words from 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.)
Helping students choose a Word of the Year can also be a good way to help students reflect on what they want to accomplish in the remainder of the school year!
To make this activity engaging, I put together 132 Word of the Year Coloring Pages. These are the perfect addition to back-to-school stations or bell work.
Writing Activities for the New Year
Helping students ease back into content is another important activity for the New Year! These two low-stress writing activities are a great way to get students writing again in the New Year!
First, a letter to myself is a perfect way to get students writing again. Students can write to themselves in the present or at the end of the year. Teachers can collect the letters and invite students to revisit them throughout the year to see their growth. Grab my quick, effortless rubric for assessing students’ letters!
Similarly, bucket lists are a low-stress way to help students prioritize their goals and dreams! Students can use their bucket lists to focus on academic goals, personal goals, and their priorities for the new year! Check out these ready-made bucket lists!
Goal Setting
In secondary, we sometimes forget the value of goal setting or we pass it off as too elementary. However, there is a tremendous amount of value in helping students set and track their goals. These are two fun ways to help students keep their goals in sight!
First, I designed these 32 Coloring Bookmarks to help students set reading goals. Some of the bookmarks allow students to focus on the number of books they’re going to read while others focus on the number of pages students will read. Whichever goal setting strategy works for your classroom, students are sure to love these ready-to-color bookmarks.
Finally, at the beginning of the school year, I ask students to complete this free ELA Goal Setting Graphic Organizer. Asking students to revisit their graphic organizers is a great way to have a conversation about growth in the new year!
What are your favorite classroom activities for the New Year?
