Free Resources to Organize Your December
The days leading up to any holiday break are hectic. The weeks leading up to Christmas or winter break take hectic to a whole new level.
How can you survive teaching in December with your sanity intact?
Organization.
I've been an organizer for as long as I can remember. As a child, I found great joy in organizing everything from my school supplies to the toys in our basement. As a teacher, I loved when other teachers came to me for advice on how to organize teaching materials and classroom supplies or how to get organized in general. As a blogger, my favorite posts to write are those about organization.
Truly, having systems and processes in place will help keep you and your students on track and on task despite all the excitement, interruptions, and schedule changes that come your way this time of year.
I have five FREE resources, tips, and strategies to share with you that will help you get organized and keep things running smoothly during the month of December.
1 | Free Resource: Printables To Keep You Organized
Are you a member of The Treasury? It’s my FREE members-only area that contains exclusive resources just for subscribers. Simply sign up here to get access. There are so many great resources inside the treasury including some perfect for managing the busy, crazy weeks leading up to winter break.
Inside The Treasury, you’ll find three printable tools that will help you get and stay organized this December.
Organizer
My weekly planner and I can’t keep up with all the schedule changes and special events that happen during the month of December.
Support staff schedules change, special assemblies happen (with advance warning and without), and parents spontaneously stop by with holiday treats for the class to enjoy.
Nearly every day brings interruptions to your normal classroom routines.
I created a separate spreadsheet to manage all these scheduling changes and challenges. Simply print it and use it to preserve your sanity as much as possible!
Calendar Spread
How would you like a free calendar that will keep you well-planned for the next several months?
I adapted these pages from my personal planner. The watercolor pages and beautiful script fonts help keep me motivated to stay organized! Make several copies of these pages, place them in a binder, and start planning.
Gift Tracker
The days right before Christmas break bring many gifts. Gifts from students whose excitement at giving them to you can lead to difficulties keeping track of which gift came from which student.
Avoid the potential embarrassment of not knowing which student to thank for a gift by using this simple gift tracker. It allows you to quickly make note of each gift you received and which student gave it to you. You can also use it to keep track of what thank you notes you’ve written!
2 | Free Resource: Printable Note Cards and Gift Tags
The winter holidays mean cards. Sending cards and receiving cards to share good wishes for the season. As a teacher, you have a LOT of people you need cards for. A small token for each student accompanied by a personalized card is a perfect way to send them off to celebrate with their families. Or, if you’re pressed for time, a cute tag with each student’s name on it will do the trick.
Find these FREE note cards and gift tags in The Treasury, my free members-only area.
3 | Tip One: Stick To Routines
There is one thing you can do that will increase your chances of having a successful - and sane - December in your classroom. Maintain your classroom routines.
There’s a reason you practice routines and processes until your students have them down. Routines make students feel comfortable and secure. They make you feel in control. With routines, everyone knows what is expected of them and what to expect from each other.
Don’t make December a time when routines get put aside. Continue the learning routines and processes that have worked well all year – morning work, reading groups, math centers. Let your students know these are still regular school days and there is plenty of learning to do before winter break.
Of course it will be necessary to be flexible and manage unexpected schedule changes, but maintaining your regular routines as much as possible will help everyone enjoy the special activities the season brings.
Need more help with classroom routines? See this post all about setting up routines in your upper elementary classroom.
4 | Tip Two: Keep It Simple
Now is not the time to plan an elaborate party with crafts that require a ton of supplies. It’s not the time to try to out-do the super creative teacher down the hall who decorated her classroom to look like the inside of a snowglobe. Certainly take time to admire and compliment her work, but don’t try to be her.
Your students will love a low-key party where you enjoy each others’ company and celebrate in a way that doesn’t stress anybody out! You’ll be modeling for your students how to handle times of overwhelm and overstimulation.
5 | Tip Three: Get Ready For January
You don’t want to return to the classroom after break to decorations on the walls (and floor) and a stack of still unwritten thank you cards on your desk.
Take time before leaving for break to prepare for your first day back. Take down any seasonal decorations, change the calendar, finalize lesson plans, and prepare any materials for the first day back.
Trust me - you’ll be so happy you did!
Closing Note
December doesn’t have to be overwhelming and exhausting for teachers. Get organized before the craziness begins and you’ll handle schedule changes, special assemblies, and overly excited students with greater ease!
This is the year to give yourself the gift of an organized classroom. I am here to support you in your efforts to be more organized. Explore my website and blog for resources to help you get organized and join the waitlist for my self-paced, online course, Organized Just So.
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