My biggest of the classroom management tips for the holidays is not to get caught with extra time. Always have something to fill in a few minutes here or there. My favorite time filler is to read a novel aloud. This is something quick and easy to do at any time. If you’re looking for read-aloud recommendations check out these blog posts: Best Upper-Elementary Read Aloud Chapter Books and Favorite Read Aloud Books for December.

Another thing I have done in the past is to create holiday-themed packets for students. They enjoy working on the activities and they are the perfect time filler when you have an extra few minutes. I have created packets from my Fast Finisher packs. This one is themed for December. I also created them from my monthly activity packs. This one is for the month of December.

Keeping the routine is important! It is especially important on these days when your students may be getting excited for the holidays to come. Maintain the routine in your classroom as you are able. There may be interruptions in the routine with parties, concerts, visitors, etc. Just do your best to keep your classroom running like normal.

Another classroom management tip for the holidays is to keep your expectations high and reinforce your classroom procedures. Remind your students about what is expected of them, especially during the holidays.

Brain breaks are a fantastic tool to help students refocus and get out some of their extra energy. Build brain breaks into your schedule strategically after students are working on something mentally tough or after they have been sitting for a long time. Check out this blog post for some brain-break ideas.

The final of the classroom management tips for the holidays is to plan a project. My first recommendation is to culminate a big project. I always had my students work on a November writing project where students took a different take on what they are thankful for. Students pick things they don’t like to do and have to come up with reasons why they are thankful for them. It is a great critical-thinking activity and gets students to appreciate the little things.

My students worked hard on these writing projects and we would publish them through Student Treasures. It was always so fun to see the looks on the faces of my students when they saw their work published in a book.

Another idea is to team up with another class to complete a project or activity. For example, if you teach a fourth-grade class you could pair up with a kindergarten class and have the fourth-graders read to the kindergarteners or complete a special project.