December is one of the most eagerly awaited months in schools, isn’t it? The holiday season is approaching, which means a time of vacation, rest, family reunions… Both teachers and students look forward to this time of year, but there’s also a concern about the academic pace declining during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

That’s why, in this post, we’ll explore some strategies and tips to strike a balance between the excitement for the holidays and maintaining the academic pace until the break starts. It may seem tricky, but with these strategies, the pace won’t falter.

Don’t miss out!

And if you want to read more about how to approach the holiday season in class, check out these posts with Christmas classroom ideas! Post 1 and Post 2.

Why Does Academic Pace Decline as Christmas Break Approaches?

As Christmas break nears, many teachers notice a drop in academic performance in their classes. But there’s a reason for everything, and several psychological and environmental factors affect school performance just before the holidays:

• Distraction: Excitement and anticipation for the holidays (especially among those who celebrate Santa Claus or the Three Kings) can divert students’ attention to these celebrations, making it harder for them to focus on school tasks.
• Exhaustion from the semester’s workload: The upcoming break represents a well-deserved rest after a busy term, something many eagerly await. Additionally, the pressure of end-of-term assessments can increase stress levels and, consequently, impact academic performance.
• Lack of routine: During the holiday season, the academic routine is often disrupted by festive activities like performances, plays, or other Christmas-related events. While these activities are valuable for both students and schools, they can affect academic performance.
• Emotional factors: For some people, the holiday season can negatively impact their emotions, whether due to the recent loss of a loved one or the inability to afford gifts like their peers. This can also affect academic performance.

Benefits of Applying Strategies to Maintain Academic Pace Before Christmas Break

Despite the reasons mentioned above for the decline in academic performance during the holiday season, there’s good news. It’s possible to maintain students’ academic pace by applying the strategies we’ll share in this post. First, let’s look at the benefits of these strategies:

• Increased interest and motivation: These strategies can help students feel more engaged in their learning and boost their motivation during a time when it tends to wane.
• Opportunity to consolidate knowledge: This period, when acquiring new knowledge might be more challenging, is perfect for consolidating key learnings from the term. The end of the term, and thus the weeks before the holiday season, is the optimal time to focus on reviewing important concepts students will need to recall after the break.
• Reduced stress: A drop in academic performance can make students feel pressured to give their best, leading to stress and creating a vicious cycle as it further impacts performance. Implementing strategies to maintain academic pace can help reduce stress and foster a positive, calm learning environment.
• Improved personal autonomy and time management: Reinforcing learning, even during times of reduced academic performance, helps students develop personal autonomy, persistence, and time management skills. This positively affects not only their academic performance but also their personal and, in the long term, professional growth.

Strategies to Maintain Academic Pace During the Holidays

With good strategic planning, we can harness the excitement of the holiday season to create a motivating learning environment where academic performance remains steady.

1. Adapt curriculum content to include holiday themes.
   To maintain students’ pace until Christmas break, you can capitalize on their enthusiasm by incorporating holiday themes into the curriculum.

This doesn’t mean abandoning the regular curriculum but adapting it to be holiday-themed, keeping students’ attention and motivation high.

For example, in Math, you could present problems related to holiday shopping; in Literature, you could assign readings tied to this season; and in Art History, you could study a holiday-themed artwork, such as Mystic Nativity or The Adoration of the Magi by Sandro Botticelli. Explore Google Arts & Culture for additional Art History resources.

2. Use collaborative learning dynamics.
   If you notice a decline in engagement and students find it harder to focus in class, use these last weeks to promote teamwork activities. This way, they’ll have to actively participate, keeping their minds engaged academically.

3. Take the opportunity to consolidate knowledge.
   After an intense first term, why not use the final days before Christmas to reinforce key learnings? Interactive tools like Additio App quizzes can make the process more dynamic and keep students motivated.

4. Encourage self-reflection.
   Another way to prevent academic pace from faltering before the holidays is to have students evaluate their learning process and that of their peers. Using self-assessment and peer-assessment rubrics, students can reflect on what they’ve learned, what could improve, and what measures they’ll apply next term to learn more effectively.

4. Gamify your content delivery.
   If maintaining students’ interest is challenging at the end of the term, try gamified activities! Whether it’s a trivia game, a holiday escape room, or an advent calendar with rewards tied to academic content, any activity beyond just taking notes will be a hit with your students!

Do You Think Academic Pace Drops Before the Holidays?

Tell us your thoughts and share the strategies you use to prevent a drop in academic performance in your subjects. We’d love to hear from you on social media! Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

Remember, with Additio App, you can conduct competency-based assessments, keeping students at the center of learning, informing them of their progress, and helping them identify areas for improvement and strengths.

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