As your students return from their winter holiday it is important to reestablish the classroom rules and routines that you set up at the beginning of the year.  This helps students reconnect with their peers as well as the overall classroom and school expectations more easily.  It is important to remember that the routines and expectations at a student’s home may be quite different from the classroom.  Therefore, the time spent reestablishing rules and routines can help your students feel more at ease.  When my students return to school from a break I welcome them and give them a brief overview of the weeks ahead.  I then read through the class rules we had written and posted on the wall earlier in the year and explain why each is important.  I also talk about the classroom routines and jobs and explain how each job if done promptly and thoughtfully benefits everyone.  This introduction may take twenty minutes, however, I have found it sets a positive tone for the months ahead.

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