I can’t believe January is already here! I actually love January! I love to look back at the year and think about how this next year can be better! It is a fresh start. I am already starting to think about how this second semester of second grade will be different than the first. How am I going to make students more excited about learning? How can I help students be more accountable for turning in work? How can invest more time with those little sweeties that are struggling? I have spent a few minutes (ha!) on Pinterest over the holidays and have some things in mind! I am looking forward to my amazing students coming back to school and finishing the second half of the year strong!
When they get back in January, I always like to do a
cute New Year’s activity with them. I made this
great mystery
picture that I can’t wait to use! You can't go
wrong with mystery pictures!
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| Gift Tag |
I also thought
it would be a cute idea to have a little present on their desk to welcome them
back and to celebrate the new year! All you need
to do it print out this tag in color or black and white and attach a ring pop
and a Hershey’s Kiss to it! You can purchase the Ring Pops in
bulk on Amazon or at your local dollar store!
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| New Year's Headband |
We have an extended learning time that
we use to tutor students, do make up work, and kids are pulled for special
classes such as speech or reading intervention. During that
time, my kiddos are going to make this cute sentence strip headband! This is a BLOG EXCLUSIVE!! The students that don’t get to make it will get to do it the next day for morning work.
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| New Year's Resolution Cards |
We will also talk about what a New
Year’s resolution is and what they want to do differently this year. At our school, the staff has to come
up with one word. Last year, my
word was “service.” I think that
I could have served more, but I do feel like I have fulfilled that word. This year, my word is “travel.” I think I am off to a good start
because I already booked a getaway weekend for my husband and I. It was his Christmas present, but it
is also my birthday present and Valentine’s Day combined! I am also going to encourage my
students to come up with one or two words.
Some
examples might be read more, learn to tie my shoes, play outside more, use
technology less, learn to cook. get more organized, etc. These could
be school or home focused. I envisioned a mixture of the two. We are going to write these down on index cards and post them around the
room as a reminder each day of how we can make this year even better than last!
I hope you
all have a blessed and prosperous New Year as well! Many
blessings to you and your family, students, and friends!
