I'm dreading going back. I've enjoyed my morning ritual of having a cup of coffee, watching TV, and browsing Facebook and teacher blogs while in my jammies! I'll have to say good bye to all that when our vacation ends.
But the good news is: I get to see the kids again! Plus, a lot of fun stuff can be done in January! (Well, besides testing and Progress Reports!)
First of all, it's winter. I've never been crazy about the snow or the cold, but the kiddos love playing in the snow, and I love their enthusiasm. Therefore, I look for opportunities to include winter themes in my classroom. Let's start with books! (Each is an affiliate link to Amazon for more information!)
HERE is a link to the winter video on Brain Pop Jr. Don't you love how they translate sophisticated concepts into language the children can understand?
Besides winter, there are a couple of important days. We have a day off for Martin Luther King Jr. in a couple of weeks. Besides making sure the kids know why we have the day off, I think Dr. King was an amazing man. I always spend some time talking about Dr. King and love the innocent passion I always get from the kids each year. "They couldn't use the same bathroom? That's...just...so...wrong!" They are amazing!
HERE's a link to the Brain Pop Martin Luther King Free movie!
A lesser-known holiday: January 9th is National Static Electricity Day. It's handy that it lands when the air is so dry since it gives us plenty of opportunities to explore static electricity! (I suspect that was intentional, but I know nothing about how National Static Electricity Day came to be!)
Speaking of electricity, did you realize Ben Franklin's birthday is January 17th? Now he's an interesting guy!
I love all the little holidays. Brain research tells us that children need novelty to learn. All these little days are a great way to bring novelty into the classroom! See this resource for more of these fun little holidays! Click here:
Don't forget...
If you enjoy celebrating individual days, you'll love January Morning Meeting Greeting Activities! I'm trying to make your life easier by writing your morning letters for you. Each day includes the date, something to celebrate on that date, and questions designed to get the children thinking! These can be used for discussions or writing prompts and can be used occasionally or as a daily morning routine. Plus, they will be updated each year!
Here's another look at the individual pages!
You may also be interested in this creation: Science and Social Studies Printables for January. There are activities for winter, Ben Franklin, static electricity, Martin Luther King Jr, mapping, and making timelines. See the image below for the link. (Be sure to download the preview for more details!)
I've also combined several January items into a bundle that includes pretty much everything you'll need for the first few weeks back!
This image gives you some ideas about what's in it, but if you want a closer look, check out my preview here: January Bundle or see the image below.
Enjoy your January!
