Winter break can be a "brain break" for teachers and students alike. Following weeks of unstructured time and staying up late and sleeping in, returning to the classroom in January can feel like starting the first day of school all over again.
Only this time, you are already halfway through the year and are resuming classes with higher expectations and more-rigorous goals.
This can manifest in a variety of ways. Students need to effectively mentally transition from lunchtime to math class. Students also should be able to readily settle into independent reading.
Re-establishing classroom routines does not have to be a battle of wills when teachers use a Time Timer® visual timer as a silent co-teacher, you can rebuild your classroom structure to be calm and consistent.
How do you re-establish classroom routines after winter break?
The key to a successful January return to school is clear instruction. Do not assume students remember all the details of last semester's routines.
Instead, treat the first week back as a routine reset. Check out the step-by-step guide below for inspiration for how you could approach this in your own classroom.
The Step-by-Step Reset
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Audit the Transitions: Identify what parts of the day felt chaotic back in December. Is it morning arrival or cleaning up group-work centers? This will put specific problems to solve on your mind rather than a vague notion of improving classroom routines.
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Visual Reinforcement: Do not just tell the students how much time they have. Instead, show them by using a visual timer to define the duration of the reset period.
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Model and Repeat: Physically walk yourself through the routine. Every day, set the Time Timer for whatever duration you think is appropriate to challenge the class to line up for recess in time. Make a daily challenge of this until students can beat the disappearing red disk. You can do things like offer bonus points on a pop quiz to incentivize adherence to routines and trying to beat their record time.
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Acknowledge the Small Wins: Visual timers are especially useful for transitions where you are trying to get the students to settle down at the beginning of class. When the red disk disappears and the room is quiet, celebrate the students' collective success.
Why Visual Timers are Essential for Classroom Transitions
Transitions can be a hard-to-mitigate source of lost instructional time and behavioral disruptions.
A visual timer helps make mitigation easier because it translates the abstract concept of time into a physical moving shape. This can make it especially useful for younger students and generally those with special needs, as time perception tends to be an issue among many in these groups.
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Reduces Cognitive Load: Students don't have to calculate that there is a twenty-seven-minute interval between 10:38 and 11:05. With a visual timer from Time Timer, students simply see the wedge getting smaller.
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Less Stress: Knowing exactly when a task will end helps students, especially those with ADHD or autism, prepare mentally for the next activity.
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Promotes Self-Regulation: Students begin to pace themselves. If they see only a sliver of disk left, they know it is time to start packing up without a verbal prompt from you.
Product Spotlights: Time Timer Time-Management Tools for the January Reset
To effectively manage a classroom a teacher will need time-management tools that are durable, visible, and easy to use.
Below are some top recommendations for a January rebuild:
Our original timer helped set the standard for classroom time-management tools. Its large size makes it visible from even the back of the room, ensuring students can stay on track during whole-group instruction or testing.
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Best for morning meetings, standardized testing, and whole-class transitions.
With a rugged handle and a protective lens, a Time Timer PLUS visual timer is perfect for a teacher who moves around a lot. The timer is portable enough to take to the gym, the library, or lunch.
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Best for: Small group rotations and on-the-go transitions.
3. The Time Timer® MOD Visual Timer (Home and School Edition)
This timer is great for students who need extra support at their individual desks. A Time Timer MOD visual timer provides a personal visual cue. It also features a silicone cover for extra durability.
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Best for: Individual workstations, IEP accommodations, and students who struggle with task initiation.
The Verdict: Let the Timer Work for You
The great benefit of using a Time Timer visual timer in January is that it relieves some of the time-management burden from the teacher.
This shift preserves your relationship with your students while maintaining high standards for your classroom routine.
Ready to reclaim your classroom floor? Explore our Classroom Collection and find the perfect co-teaching time-management tool for your students.
