How to Reset Classroom Behavior After Winter Break (Without Losing Your Voice)

The "Sunday Scaries" hit differently in January.

You’ve just had a week or two of sleeping in, drinking coffee while it’s still hot, and using the bathroom whenever you want. Now, you’re staring down the barrel of the first week back after Winter Break.

There is a phenomenon I like to call "January Amnesia." Even though you spent the first six weeks of school drilling procedures, your students will walk in on that first Monday back acting like they have never seen a pencil sharpener before. They have forgotten how to line up. They have forgotten what "quiet work" sounds like.

Don’t panic. You don’t need to be mean, but you do need a plan. Here is my exact strategy for resetting behavior in January so you can survive until Spring Break.

1. Treat the First Week Back Like the First Week of School

The biggest mistake we make is assuming students remember the expectations. They don’t. Their brains have been in "holiday mode"—filled with video games, sugar, and irregular sleep schedules.

If you jump straight into heavy curriculum on Day 1, you will spend 90% of your time disciplining and 10% teaching.

Instead, spend the first two days re-teaching. Not just "reminding," but physically practicing.

• Practice how we enter the room.

• Practice how we transition to groups.

• Practice what to do when you need a tissue.

It feels repetitive, but investing time now saves you hours of frustration in February.

It cuts through the chatter instantly without you getting angry. It’s a novelty for the kids, and it saves your voice.

My Recommendation: I use this specific one because it’s loud enough for a busy classroom but has different chime options so you don’t get annoyed by the sound.

👉 Wireless Doorbell

3. Refresh Your Visuals (Because Your Walls are Invisible)

Here is the hard truth: Your students stopped looking at your "Class Rules" poster in October.

After a few months, classroom decor becomes "wallpaper." It blends into the background. If you point to your old rules poster in January, they won’t even register it.

To get a behavior reset, you need new, novel visuals.

I stopped using static posters and switched to interactive visuals. Specifically, I use a visual "Needle Meter" (or Noise Monitor). instead of just saying "be quiet," I physically move the needle on the display to show them where they are and where they need to be.

It gamifies the behavior management. When they see the needle move toward the "danger zone," they self-correct much faster than if I just asked them to hush.

If you need a quick way to refresh your management board without redesigning your whole room, you can grab the set I use below. It includes the meter and updated visual cue cards that are perfect for a mid-year refresh.

👉 Visual Rules

👉 Needle Meter

What are your favorite classroom management games? Share your secret strategies with us on our Facebook page!