Surviving December in the Classroom
Jodie Shell • December 5, 2023

Ah, December. The festive season that brings about joy, cheer, and... anxiety? As teachers, we all know that December can be a challenging month with overloaded schedules and high-energy students excited for the holidays. Read on as we discuss five practical strategies to help you to survive the month of December, to keep your classroom as tranquil as possible, and to have a very happy holiday break.

Be yourself!

Resist the temptation to compare yourself to others in your building or teachers on social media, especially during this time of year when stress levels are already a bit heightened! If your grade level colleague finds recreating the North Pole in his classroom to be joyful and wants to spend his entire month’s salary on bells and whistles, let him. But don’t feel like you have to follow suit. Embrace your own style, your own traditions, and your own budget. Focus on creating special moments for your class that are true to you and to your students .

Prepare your class for schedule changes!

It’s possible that your school will be putting on one or two special events during the month of December that will cause a shift in the daily schedule and in classroom routines. In advance, calmly explain to your class what will be going on, and how it will affect them. Something like “Friends, today we will be stopping Writers’ Workshop early to attend a ‘Holidays Around the World’ presentation in the gym. When the presentation is over, we will come back to our room, and it will be time for Literacy Stations.” By being proactive and keeping your students informed, they will be better able to adjust to changes and will be less likely to act out.

Keep the day before the break low-key!

Let’s be honest, scraping frosting from the ceiling and glitter-glue globs from tables for hours after the kids are dismissed is not really how you want to kick-off your holiday break. In other words, today is not the day for your elaborate ‘Fizzing-Candy Cane-Glitter-Bomb-Oobleck’ science experiment. Keep the last day before break low-key, perhaps with a calm class party or movie time. You’ll feel more relaxed knowing you won’t have a massive clean-up job when the bell rings.

Stay organized!

December can feel like an overwhelming month to keep everything straight. Between parent-teacher conferences, holiday events, and last-minute grading, it’s easy to lose track of tasks. Keep a planner or create a digital schedule to stay on top of everything. Make a list of priorities each day, so you don’t become overwhelmed.

Take care of yourself!

Between the holiday events, extra hours at work, and family gatherings, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself. Make sure to carve out some “me-time” every day, whether it’s a few minutes of meditation, a short walk, or even treating yourself to a fancy coffee. Additionally, make sure to get enough sleep, eat well, and stay hydrated.

In conclusion, December can be a stressful time of year for teachers and students alike, but implementing these practical strategies can help you keep your cool and have a happy holiday break. Be proactive, stay true to yourself, keep it simple, stay organized, and most importantly, take care of yourself. Remember, you do not have to do it all, and it’s okay to say no if you need to. With these strategies in mind, you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever December throws your way. Happy Holidays!

At GrapeSEED, we value an interactive yet ‘in-control’ classroom environment, where children are engaged & interacting while understanding routines and expectations in December and all throughout the school year. Are you ready to learn more about GrapeSEED and how it can impact your English Language Learners?

October 6, 2025
What is inevitable in most schools across the United States? Standardized testing! And for our English Language Learner students, there is no getting around it... standardized tests are nonnegotiable. So, what is the challenge for elementary teachers and administrators? Striking the right balance. The key to that balance is preparing children for these assessments without completely tossing out developmentally appropriate instruction AND without creating anxiety. Why Preparation Matters While standardized tests might not capture the full range of our students' growth, they do influence school accountability, placement decisions, and even the allocation of funding and other resources. So, we prepare our students…not by ‘teaching to the test’, but by giving them the skills that they need to feel comfortable and confident during testing time. Multilingual learners, especially, benefit when we scaffold their testing experience, making sure they understand test formats, directions, and strategies, so they can truly show what they know. Ready for a few practical test prep ideas? Let’s dig in! Meaningful and Age-Appropriate Strategies 1. Build Familiarity Through Routine Incorporate test-like questions into regular classroom activities in a low-stakes way. Use short passages, multiple-choice questions, and timed activities that mimic test conditions, without the pressure. 2. Focus on Language and Concept Development ELL students need time to develop academic vocabulary and comprehension skills. Embed test-related language (e.g., “main idea,” “infer,” “evidence”) into their daily instruction in ways that make sense contextually. 3. Use Play and Movement For younger learners, active learning helps reinforce skills. Try review games, partner quizzes, or station rotations. These help students internalize content and practice test-taking skills in an engaging, age-appropriate format. 4. Practice Metacognition and Self-Talk Teach simple test-taking strategies like rereading the question, eliminating wrong answers, and checking work. Model “think alouds” to show how good test-takers reason through tricky questions. 5. Support Emotional Readiness Let students know that tests are just one way to show learning. Create a calm, encouraging classroom culture that frames testing as a chance to “show what you’ve learned,” not a judgment on their worth or ability. A Final Thought for Administration Administrators play a vital role in ensuring that multilingual learner teachers are supported with training, resources, and realistic expectations. Providing carved out time for your teachers to focus on standardized test readiness and making room for differentiated assessments, shows your support and commitment. When done thoughtfully, preparing your students for testing time can reinforce key skills, boost their confidence, and ensure that every student…especially our multilingual learners…have a fair chance to succeed. Are YOU looking for the best way to support your multilingual learner students? Then YOU’RE looking for GrapeSEED! Click here to learn more.
September 22, 2025
Are you a teacher of multilingual learners? If you’re answer is a resounding ‘YES’, then you have very likely heard the term ‘comprehensible input’ over and over again. But what does it actually mean and why does it matter so much? Comprehensible input is simply language that is just a teeny bit above a student’s level of understanding, but that can make sense and be understood with the scaffolds of context (like a story, for example), realia, props, gestures, facial expressions and so on. When your students receive this type of input during lessons, they are going to acquire language more naturally and effectively. You might be wondering, ‘why is this so important in my ESL classrooms?’ The answer is because language acquisition thrives on understanding. When students have a high level of anxiety because they’re overwhelmed with unfamiliar vocabulary and speech that is super-fast, they’re very likely to just ‘shut down.’ However, when we as teachers mindfully make our input very clear and add those scaffolds mentioned, children grow in confidence and are much more willing to engage and take academic risks. Try these easy yet effective strategies to build comprehensible input into your lessons: o Use props and realia: Using real life objects, props and pictures makes a big impact! Showing a picture of a tree while saying “This is a tree” makes meaning click instantly. o Slow your pace and use gestures: Use a moderate pace when speaking and be certain to pronounce words clearly. Use body language to support what you’re saying, when appropriate. Remember that a smile and a well-planned gesture can go a long way when building comprehensible input. o Repeat and rephrase: Saying things in a different way when is seems as though your point didn’t get across can be key. For example, if “Let’s line up” causes confusion or misunderstanding, try “Get in a line, please…one behind the other.” o Build on the ‘known’: Connect new learning to things that your students have already learned or experiences. This makes new information feel much more familiar and easier to grasp. o Check for understanding: Use short sentence frames and yes/no & either/or questions to check for understanding in a way that is low stress for your students. Remember, comprehensible input isn’t about “dumbing down” language—it’s about making it meaningful and accessible. When students understand what they’re hearing or reading, they’re more likely to respond, participate, and grow. And that’s when the real language magic begins! Does the GrapeSEED English for Children curriculum include comprehensible input? Yes, it definitely does, and in multiple ways! Learn all about it, along with how YOU can get started with GrapeSEED, by clicking here .
By Jodie Shell September 8, 2025
Welcoming your youngest newcomer children to school … children who are new to the United States and adjusting to a new language, a new culture, and new way of ‘doing school’… requires so much more than just academic support. One of the most significant but most often overlooked challenges that brand-new newcomer children face is learning to self-regulate in this very new, very different looking learning environment. As teachers and administrators, supporting the cultivation of self-regulation skills in newcomer students not only supports their academic success, but their emotional well-being and sense of belonging, too. Understanding the Challenge Many newcomer students arrive with limited or interrupted schooling and likely have experienced some sort of trauma, migration stress, and culture shock. These factors can make self-regulation … managing emotions, behavior, and attention … especially difficult. Unfamiliar expectations around classroom behavior, routines, and interactions with classmates can contribute to feelings of confusion or frustration. So what can you do? Practical Strategies for Educators: 1. Build Predictable Routines: Clear, consistent daily routines help reduce anxiety and give students a sense of safety. Pictorial schedules and transition cues can be especially helpful for English language learner students. 2. Teach Vocabulary dealing with Emotions : Young newcomers may struggle to express emotions in a new language. Using facial expression cards and simple language to build a shared emotional vocabulary that supports communicating feelings will make a huge impact on building the sense of community needed in your school and classrooms. 3. Model and Practice Self-Regulation: Use modeling and role-playing to demonstrate strategies like taking deep, slow breaths, counting, or just taking a break can make a powerful impact. Also, consider creating a calm-down corner in your school or classroom where students can go to ‘reset’. 4. Establish Culturally Responsive Relationships: Learn about students’ cultural backgrounds and show curiosity and respect. Trusting relationships provide the foundation for students to feel safe enough to practice self-regulation. 5. Partner with Families and Specialists : Collaborate with other multilingual learner teachers, counselors, and families to ensure a unified approach. Remember that while they could be struggling to acclimate a bit themselves, parents and families can offer insight into what comforts and motivates their children. Supporting self-regulation is a journey, not a quick fix. With empathy, structure, and cultural sensitivity, we all can help newcomer students develop the emotional tools they need to flourish, both in and out of the classroom. At GrapeSEED, our curriculum is built on a foundation that encourages a calm, joy filled environment. Our daily lesson plans incorporates a low affective filter for students at every turn as they acquire English. Ready to learn more? Click here!
August 25, 2025
There’s something magical about the first few weeks of school; the fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils, and bright-eyed students walking through your classroom door, each with a story ready to unfold. As teachers, we don’t just teach content; we build communities. And when our classroom becomes a place where every student feels seen, heard, and valued, that’s when real learning begins.
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