December Teaching Resources for a Successful Classroom
As the holiday season approaches, it can be difficult for teachers to keep students engaged and motivated in the classroom. However, with the right resources and strategies, December can be a time of great learning and growth for students. In this article, we will discuss some of the best December teaching resources for a successful classroom.
Engaging Lesson Plans
One of the most important resources for any teacher is a set of engaging lesson plans. These plans should be designed to capture students' attention and keep them interested in the material. One way to achieve this is by incorporating holiday-themed activities and projects into your lesson plans. For example, you could have students create holiday-themed artwork, write holiday-themed stories, or even plan a holiday-themed science experiment.
December?!?! Really?!? I do think that this school year is going by faster than any other school year so far!
Here is a great list of resources both free and purchased for December:
Educational Games and Activities
Another great resource for teachers is educational games and activities. These can be used to reinforce key concepts and skills and make learning fun and interactive. Some popular options include holiday-themed crossword puzzles, word searches, and bingo games. You could also use online resources such as Kahoot, Quizlet and Quizizz to make learning more interactive.
Reading and Writing Resources
Reading and writing are essential skills for any student, and it's important to provide students with resources that will help them improve these skills. Some great options include holiday-themed reading comprehension worksheets, writing prompts, and vocabulary lists. You could also use these resources to create a classroom newspaper, storybook, or poetry book.
One of our favorite books is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It’s a short chapter book, but be prepared to omit a handful of words.
Click HERE to see all my favorites!
As we all know, some books have movies too! To justify watching the movie after reading a book, I have my students compare and contrast the book with the movie. These are the graphic organizers that we use. You can grab them here, in the free resource library.
10 Classroom Gift Exchange Ideas
Go beyond the traditional boy gets boy gift, girl gets girl gift exchange with these ten classroom gift exchange ideas!
My favorite and my students’ favorite is the Outrageously True ~ Christmas Around the World Edition!
Christmas Around the World STEM Challenges are a perfect addition if you are incorporating Christmas Around the World activities!
Add a little color to the season with the December Color By Number for 3rd and 4th grade!
Or…differentiate problem solving with the December Differentiated Problem Solving Pack.
Get students writing creatively with the Creative Writing Journal Prompts for December.
Do you receive a lot of gifts from students? Yeah, that’s pretty much a given around Christmas time! These thank you notes are PERFECT to pull out and write a quick thank you to your students!
Here is to wishing you a nonstressful few weeks until the long-deserved winter break!
Classroom Decorations
Finally, don't forget about the power of classroom decorations! These can be used to create a festive and welcoming environment that will help students feel excited and motivated to learn. Some popular options include holiday-themed posters, banners, and cutouts.
In conclusion, December can be a challenging time for teachers, but with the right resources and strategies, it can also be a time of great learning and growth for students. By incorporating engaging lesson plans, educational games and activities, reading and writing resources, and classroom decorations, you can create a successful and enjoyable classroom experience for your students.
