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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 Now here's your host, Adam Bush.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 Hello, welcome back, Boosters. Thank you for joining us again today.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:25 Today we are tackling a familiar challenge, welcoming students back to school
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 after a long holiday break.
00:00:27 --> 00:00:31 Now, I don't know when your students started. Maybe they started yesterday.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 Maybe they started today. They did in my district.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:37 Let's be honest, these extended breaks, they sometimes can feel like a fresh
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 start, but they can also bring some unique challenges.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 Students are maybe just now adjusting again to new routines.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:48 They're going to feel a little bit out of sync academically or maybe even experiencing
00:00:48 --> 00:00:49 some post-holiday blues.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 And let's be honest, our staff is as well. So how
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 can we as school leaders help our teachers navigate this transition
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 and ensure a smooth and successful return for all
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 holidays they can bring a whirlwind of emotions for
00:01:01 --> 00:01:05 students some may have experienced joyful family gatherings while others may
00:01:05 --> 00:01:09 have faced some challenges family stress financial hardship grief food insecurity
00:01:09 --> 00:01:13 there's a lot of things that our students experience when they're not at school
00:01:13 --> 00:01:17 so to address these we do have to have a few strategies think about making sure
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 that we have a want to ensure that we have a creative.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 We want to ensure that we start with a safe and welcoming space.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:28 If we have a chance, decorating the school with some holiday decorations or
00:01:28 --> 00:01:33 removing them now to symbolize a fresh start is a great way to start the year fresh.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 Providing opportunities for social interaction. Just like the beginning of the
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 year, we need to have icebreaker activities.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:43 Maybe this is a good group project time or even some unstructured playtime to
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 help students reconnect with their friends.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 Encourage students to share their experiences if they're comfortable.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:52 A simple, tell me about your holiday break, it can open the door for meaningful
00:01:52 --> 00:01:56 conversations, but we also want to make sure that we are being equitable here
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 and not always saying, hey, where did you travel for Christmas when not a lot
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 of our students have the opportunity to travel.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 So encouraging students to share their experience is a great idea.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 Just be a little bit mindful about your audience.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:12 Talking about all of this for students is great. Don't forget about your teachers as well.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:16 They may need some SEL resources available, maybe some mindful exercises,
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 calming activities. If you don't have students today and it's just a PD day,
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 good opportunity for some of that social emotional learning lessons,
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 things like that, that our teachers can kind of get back into the swing of things as well.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:30 Just don't forget, they also had a break too. They've got to get back into the swing of things.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 Another tip is to ease back on academics. I know at the beginning of the year
00:02:34 --> 00:02:38 when I'm talking with my staff, I just tell my staff I don't want anything related
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 to academic learning for the first few days. We're just learning to be together.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:45 Well, we're kind of in that same boat again coming after a longer break.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 It's easy for students to feel a little rusty academically.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:52 So instead of jumping right back into demanding coursework, maybe we start with
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 some review, you know, some key concepts that we were doing from before the
00:02:55 --> 00:02:59 break and try to re-engage our minds back into this.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:04 Great time to put some games or puzzles or any sort of hands-on activities that
00:03:04 --> 00:03:08 can make our learning fun and interactive, help incorporate those skills back
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 in, get our minds back working again.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 Really, we just don't want to overload students with assignments if possible,
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 you know, give them opportunity to, to work through some things,
00:03:16 --> 00:03:20 receive some extra help if they need to might be good time for us to have that
00:03:20 --> 00:03:21 extra support ready to go.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 Last tip, and I kind of talked about it before, but for leaders,
00:03:24 --> 00:03:28 don't forget about your teaching staff. They also need support during this transition period.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 This is a good time for us to provide clear expectations and guidance,
00:03:32 --> 00:03:36 sharing clear guidelines and resources with teachers on how to do this work.
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 Don't just expect them to know how to do this. This is hard.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 This is a time when we need our teams to work together to be able to provide
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 the best service for our kids coming back from a break.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 Understand those challenges teachers are going to face. It's going to be challenging
00:03:48 --> 00:03:52 to re-engage students. So allow for some flexibility in the lesson plans.
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 Right now is maybe not the best time to be doing a classroom observation.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 Try to push out a few strategies. Try to push out a few ideas for your teachers
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 that are going to help re-engage students after break.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 Encourage some work together within their PLCs if possible.
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 And then also just don't forget to show appreciation.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 Recognize and appreciate the hard work and the dedication of your teachers.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 Simple thank you note right now, a small gesture of appreciation,
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 or just a, hey, good job today.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 Thank you. We'll see you again tomorrow. A lot of that stuff can go a long way
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 with your staff right now.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:25 As the renowned educator John Dewey once said, education is not preparation
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 for life. Education is life itself.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:33 Just remember that as we make this return to school a positive and enriching experience for all.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 We need to create a supportive and welcome environment for both students and teachers.
00:04:37 --> 00:04:42 And if we do so, we will see success. I hope these tips help you and your team
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 navigate the return to school after the holiday break. Just remember,
00:04:44 --> 00:04:49 patience, understanding, and focus on well-being, they're going to be your keys.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 Thank you for listening. Have yourself a wonderful week. Happy Friday.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 We will see you again on Monday. You have been listening to Your Morning Boost
00:04:55 --> 00:04:59 by AWB Education in partnership with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:04 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:09 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:14 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community. Thank you.