First Day After Winter Break

We had a blast our first day back from winter break.  I was a little worried that the students would be a bit tired and lack focus, but this was not the case!  They were eager to share their holiday experiences with classmates.  We did this by playing Find Somebody Who...  The students had to mill around the room to find students who did certain activities listed on a handout.  This got them up and moving and sharing all the fun and exciting things that went on over the break!

I also wanted my students to focus on what they would need to do to make the rest of the school year a success for them.  This included letting me know, as their teacher, what would they need from me. So we reviewed writing SMART goals (Specific, Measureable, Acceptable, Reasonable, and Timely).  Afterwards students answered the following 4 questions:

1.  Our classroom should be ________ everyday.

2.  What is one SMART goal you have the 2015?

3.  In order to be successful in 2015 I will _______.

4.  What do you need from Ms. Scriven in order to be successful for the remaining of the school year?

Students had a great time with this activity and I enjoyed the discussions that came along with it! Now it's time for us to hit the ground running so students can begin working on some of their SMART goals!