15 Ways to Slay the Week AFTER Winter Break

Maybe it's just me, but January is NOT my favorite teaching month.

In addition to the cold, dark weather (thanks, Ohio) and the fact that winter break is now over (sigh), my school has midterm exams, report cards, and parent conferences all in January. 

Even if your exams happened in December and you have the fresh glow of a new semester to keep you inspired, the beginning of a new term can mean a lot of work, a lot of maintaining or building classroom norms, and a lot of energy to get back into the work/life groove. 

5+ Easy Gifts for Older Students

Have your students been good this year? Even if they haven't, perhaps you're inclined to show them some love this winter. However, sometimes gift-giving to older students is easier said than done. 

Depending on your class, you might have allergies to worry about, limited color copying privileges, minimal time for crafting... not to mention the need to respect all cultures. You don't want your choice of gift to show preferential treatment to one holiday over another.

Fortunately, giving meaningful gifts to your students doesn't have to be a time-consuming, Pinterest-worthy project. In fact, with teenagers in middle and high school, a lot of the things they want do NOT involve glue guns, pom-poms, or excessive crafting on your part!