Whew! January can feel like walking into a whole new classroom, can’t it? After the whirlwind of the holiday season, students (and maybe teachers!) seem to forget routines, focus can be hard to find, and energy levels are all over the place. It may be time for a winter classroom routines reboot!

That being said, this mid-year transition doesn’t have to derail your classroom harmony. With a little planning and a few intentional strategies, you can hit the reset button. Think of it as an opportunity to refresh your routines, set clear expectations, and bring your students back together as a community.

Here’s what I’ve found works best when it comes to resetting your classroom:

• Conduct a classroom expectations refresher.
• Rebuild classroom community with team-building activities.
• Simplify daily procedures to ease transitions.
• Engage students in setting personal and classroom goals.
• Add an organizational refresh to streamline routines.

Let’s dive into these ideas—I’ll share exactly how I’ve used them in my own classroom to create a smooth, confident start to the new year.

Why a Mid-Year Reset Matters

Coming back from winter break feels a lot like starting a new school year—but without the luxury of extra time to get routines back on track. I’ve noticed that my students often need gentle reminders to refocus on expectations and routines. And honestly? I do too!

A mid-year reset is a chance to:

• Reestablish a sense of structure, order, and efficiency.
• Address any behavior challenges that cropped up before the break.
• Inspire both you and your students to embrace a fresh start.

5 Strategies to Reboot Your Winter Classroom Routines

1. Conduct a Classroom Expectations Refresher

In my classroom, we always kick off the new year by revisiting expectations. It’s like a little tune-up for everyone. I’ve learned that framing this positively—rather than as a “fix”—makes all the difference. Remember–students crave structure and routines, and they may be coming off a week or two without this.

• Review the Basics: I use an anchor chart with classroom rules and ask students to reflect on what worked last semester and what they’d like to adjust.
• Make It Interactive: My favorite activity is brainstorming together—students love suggesting ways to improve our routines. I let them take ownership, and it’s amazing how engaged they get. We revisit our beginning of year agreements and see if anything needs to change.
• Practice Procedures: We role-play transitions and other routines. It might seem silly, but acting out a messy line-up versus a perfect one always gets them laughing and learning at the same time.  Talk about how to work in pairs.  How to line up quickly.  Work through all those procedures that make things run smoothly.

Try This!

Frame this discussion as a team effort: “What can we do together to make our classroom even better this semester?”

 

2. Rebuild Classroom Community with Team-Building Activities

After the break, I find my students need time to reconnect with each other—and with me. Starting with some team-building activities sets a positive tone.  It’s a great time to pull out some of those cooperative learning activities you didn’t get to earlier in the year! I use some of THESE activities!

• Icebreakers with a Twist: We do a “holiday highlights” circle where each student shares something fun they did over the break. I go first to model, and it’s always a hit! I always remind them that it can something small–like sleeping in.  In my district, some students were on trips to the Bahamas and others might not have even eaten well, so be mindful.
• Collaborative Projects: STEM activities, shared reading, and new math games are a great way to get students working together again. Talking about resolutions and goals is another fantastic thing to do to get back on track. 
• Morning Meetings: I bring back our morning meeting routine and add a gratitude share—it’s a simple way to foster connection and empathy.

Try This!

Create a quick and classic “snowball” game where students write a fun fact about their break on a piece of paper, crumple it, and toss it into the circle. Everyone grabs one to read aloud—it’s fun and low-pressure!

3. Simplify Daily Procedures to Ease Transitions

It’s amazing how out-of-sync everything feels after a long break. Instead of diving back into all routines at once, I focus on simplifying transitions first.

• Streamline Transitions: For example, I noticed my students struggling to bring in their supplies, so I made it easier by adding a visual cue by the door. Sometimes I give them a time challenge–like “You have 46 seconds to put away your book and meet me up front.”  I always use wacky numbers.  It’s just more fun.
• Use Visual Schedules: I post a daily agenda in my slideshow and go over it each morning—students love knowing what’s coming next. 
• Introduce a Reset Signal: Some teachers clap a rhythm for students to echo—it’s quick, fun, and effective. Others ring a bell, flip the lights, do a call-back where the teacher says “peanut butter” and students say “jelly”.  You get the picture.

Try This!

Focus on one tricky procedure at a time to avoid overwhelming yourself and your students. I start with transitions—it always makes the biggest difference.

4. Engage Students in Setting Personal and Classroom Goals

I’ll admit it—goal-setting is one of my favorite ways to reset the classroom. There’s something so powerful about giving students ownership of their learning.

• Personal Goals: I ask students to write one academic goal and one personal goal for the semester. For example, “Read 5 books” or “Raise my hand more.”  I use goal sheets from my Growth Mindset Toolkit to do so.
• Classroom Goals: As a class, we set goals together—like keeping our desks tidy, having more balanced participation in our groups and lessons, making sure everyone feels included,  or using kind words during group work.
• Track Progress: Finally, ask students to reflect on their own progress and to modify their goals as needed.

Try This!

Celebrate small wins—whether it’s finishing a book or meeting a behavior goal. A quick shoutout or sticker goes a long way!

5. Add an Organizational Refresh to Streamline Winter Routines

Let’s face it—starting the semester with a clutter-free classroom feels amazing.  This is also an area I really struggle with, so I like to make this a team effort with my students.

• Declutter Desks: I give students 10 minutes to clean out their desks. We make it fun by playing music and timing them.
• Organize Supplies: We sort classroom supplies together—I let students help label things, find ways to make the math shelves more organized, clean up the classroom library, and so on.
• Digital Cleanup: On my end, I spend time reorganizing digital resources so everything is easy to find. I will never understand why digital systems are so hard for me!

Try This!

Turn cleaning into a challenge—who can organize their desk the fastest? It’s always a big hit with my students!  They love being able to be finished and then help others.

So what next?

Resetting your winter classroom routines doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By focusing on expectations, community, goals, and organization, you can turn post-break chaos into a period of renewed energy and focus—for both you and your students.

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Download a FREE “Mid-Year Reset Checklist” today! It’s packed with actionable steps and templates to help you reboot your classroom with confidence.

 

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Want to check out another fun winter post with a fun and easy reading project?  Check this one out!

How about a ton of great low-prep activities to help you out?  Click the image below or HERE to check out 12 of them!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great “back to school” January!