Let’s just put it out there. December is exhausting for teachers. The days are shorter. The weather grows colder and (at least here in Oregon) wetter. Students are anxious — whether it’s a buzzing excitement for vacation or a sense of dread that some kids feel in homes that are unsafe during the holidays. This year, in particular, feels harder. Students are experiencing pandemic fatigue and many of them are feeling the loss of not being able to visit loved ones for the holidays.

And teachers are tired. They’re tired of redirecting behaviors and tired of the mid-year pressure of the test and simply tired of the sheer energy it takes to be a teacher. If you’re teaching virtually, it’s easy to feel exhausted by the sheer amount of energy that goes into doing virtual class sessions. Student engagement is challenging this year and it feel disheartening when students don’t turn work in.

While there’s no perfect solution for this, as teachers, we can choose to end the year on a creative note.

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