Sunday scaries after WINTER break

Fighting the Sunday scaries right before going back to the classroom after a long break is SO HARD!!!! 
I can usually shake it off by reviewing my plans for the week (which I usually finish the week before. I HAVE TO stay organized or my anxiety can get the best of me) but the Sunday scaries the day coming back from break are a different story... those I can't shake easily!!! 
So... here are some ideas that, hopefully, will help you stay calm and give you some space to transition from vacation to classroom mode. 

First.... 
It's important to remember that we have all been on a long break, both teachers and students, so if you are dreading going back to the classroom, your students probably feel the same way. So, whatever you do, they'll be okay with it. 
It's also important to remember that the first few days, even the first week, can be a transition period or a new beginning. This is the time to re-build relationships with your students, some of them may have already forgotten they like you! 

The first day of school is perfect for these activities:

• Journaling on the past year: questions like "where are we?", "how did we get here?", what have we learned?", "how will our experiences serve us in the future? are perfect to start reflection on how we want our year to go.
• Vision Boards: this can be a fun, engaging, artistic activity that will help your students think of their future and what they want for themselves. You can pair this activity with some executive function mini lesson where you ask them "how will you get there?" and ask them to create a plan to make their vision a goal
• Goal Setting: there are plenty of TpT products that talk about S.M.A.R.T. Goals and pretty cool worksheets that you can use with your students. I LOVE displaying their SMART goals in a bulletin board in my classroom, so they can have it as a reminder. I also think it's a great idea to ask them to choose a song that motivates them to accomplish that goal, and create a class playlist! 
• Remind them of your community guidelines/expectations/classroom rules. Students forget easily... so it's important to establish strong relationships by talking about why we have community guidelines and how it helps us be a stronger community that helps and supports each other.

I really hope these ideas are helpful. I highly recommend to plan at least your first day back BEFORE you go on break, so you are not stressing out during the break and you have plenty of time to rest. 

If you do HAVE TO work the Sunday before going back to work I suggest to put it in your calendar for a specific time and only work during that time. Be your most productive self during 1-2 hours of your day and then forget about it!!! (This is why I highly recommend to work in the morning if you can.. just get it out of the way!) I also recommend using the Pomodoro technique, which will help you put all distractions aside. 

I'm sure you will be great!!! Don't be too hard on yourself!! 

Un abrazo,   
​Jimena