I don’t know about you, but this is my last week of school before winter break. Before I leave for winter break, I want to make sure everything is ready to go for the first day after break. This year, I’ve prepared these New Year’s Stations.
With New Year’s Stations, teachers can reorient students, refresh classroom expectations and ease students back into the routine.
As a bonus, these are all easy stations to set up! Keep the prep low and keep the stress lower!
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Must-Have New Year’s Stations
The start of a new year is the perfect time to encourage reflective thinking. That’s why these are my must-have New Year’s Stations:
- First, this free goal sheet is a perennial favorite. This is actually part of my Back-to-School Stations, and I keep students’ goal sheets from the start of the year. Then, after winter break, students revisit their goal sheets to see if they have achieved their goals and/or to create action steps to achieve those goals.
- Similarly, if I introduced these bucket lists at the start of the year, I put them out at a station and ask students to check off any bucket list items they have completed. Then, I ask students to either add to their bucket list or write a few sentences about why it was valuable to achieve their goals. If I didn’t use the bucket lists during back-to-school, then this is the perfect time to use them!
- Of these New Year’s Stations, my favorite is asking students to create a Word of the Year. Creating a Word of the Year is a staple activity for me personally, so I love sharing this tradition with students. On the front of these cards, students choose and decorate their Words of the Year. On the back, students write a few sentences explaining their choices. Then, we hang all of our Words of the Year on the classroom door so they are top-of-mind every time we enter the room. If you’re curious about my previous Words of the Year, check them out here: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019.
New Year’s Stations for Reading and Writing
As the new year starts, I want to gently move students back into ELA essentials, so I design stations that specifically get students back into the swing of things.
First, students engage with a visual writing prompt. I use visual writing prompts regularly, so students are familiar with the process and expectations for this kind of informal writing. Sometimes I give students several options from which to choose. Other times, I choose a seasonal visual writing prompt for students to address. On-demand writing is an easy way to incorporate writing every day.
Second, I like to get students back in a conversation with our classroom library. Of the New Year’s Stations, this is the one I position strategically, placing it near the classroom library. At this station, students create a Reading Goals Bookmark. These bookmarks gives students an opportunity to track their reading and set goals for themselves.
Finally, I like to do a grammar inventory during New Year’s Stations. This free grammar inventory is one I use at the beginning of the year; I like to reuse the same inventory during the new year so I can compare students’ new scores to their original scores. This provides a clear snapshot of student growth and provides direction for grammar instruction going forward.
Honorable Mentions
From time to time, I start teaching a new course at semester. When that happens, it’s time to also have a station focused on the syllabus. I’ve unrolled my syllabus in a dozen different ways, but this Syllabus Scavenger Hunt is ideal for New Year’s Stations.
If that doesn’t work for you, here are some other syllabus options:
- Syllabus BINGO
- Syllabus Design Tips
- DIY Syllabus Scavenger Hunt
- Trifold Syllabus Canva Template
- Syllabus Day Doesn’t Have to Suck
