Welcome back! If you're reading this, you've made it through the whirlwind of the festive period, and you're ready to tackle the spring term. January is the perfect time for a fresh start – a chance to reset, refocus and set yourself and your students up for success in the months ahead.
20 practical strategies to help secondary teachers reset for the spring term
Whether you're feeling energised or still recovering from the chaos of December, these 20 practical tips will help you establish effective routines, boost motivation and support wellbeing for both you and your students.
Re-establishing effective classroom routines
1. Revisit your classroom expectations
Start the term by explicitly reviewing your classroom rules and expectations with students. Don't assume they remember everything from before the break! Use the first lesson back to re-establish boundaries, routines and behavioural expectations. This classroom routines checklist can help you ensure you've covered all bases.
2. Implement consistent starter activities
Get students into the habit of productive learning from the moment they enter your classroom. Having a regular starter activity – whether it's a quiz, a retrieval practice task or a discussion prompt – helps settle the class and signals that learning starts immediately. Check out these 20 engaging starter ideas for inspiration.
3. Establish a seating plan (or refresh your existing one)
January is an ideal time to review your seating arrangements. Consider what worked well last term and what didn't. Strategic seating can minimise disruption, support collaborative learning and help students focus. Don't be afraid to make changes if something isn't working.
4. Create predictable lesson structures
Students thrive on consistency. Establish a clear lesson structure that students can rely on – perhaps a starter, main activity and plenary format. When students know what to expect, they feel more secure and can focus on learning rather than wondering what comes next. For effective plenary ideas, explore these 20 engaging plenary activities.
Goal setting and motivation
5. Set SMART goals with your students
Help students set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals for the term ahead. This gives them ownership of their learning and provides a clear sense of direction. Use these SMART goal-setting resources to support your students in creating meaningful, achievable targets.
6. Model goal-setting yourself
Share your own professional goals for the term with your classes. This could be as simple as "I want to give you feedback within one week" or "I'm going to try three new teaching strategies this term." Modelling goal-setting shows students that learning and improvement never stop, even for teachers.
7. Create a motivational classroom environment
Refresh your classroom displays with inspiring messages and student work. Visual reminders of success and aspiration can boost morale on those grey January days. These motivational quotes for students can provide a quick and effective way to brighten your space.
8. Celebrate small wins
January can feel like a long, dark month. Make a conscious effort to acknowledge and celebrate progress, no matter how small. Whether it's improved homework completion, better participation or simply turning up on time, recognition matters and builds momentum.
Supporting student and teacher wellbeing
9. Check in with your students
The Christmas break affects everyone differently. Take time to check in with your students about how they're feeling. A simple "How was your break?" or a quick wellbeing survey can help you identify students who might need extra support as they settle back into school. For more guidance on supporting student mental health, explore our student mental health resources.
10. Prioritise your own wellbeing
You can't pour from an empty cup. Make sure you're looking after yourself this term. Set boundaries around your working hours, take your breaks and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. These workload management tips can help you work smarter, not harder. For comprehensive support, visit our teacher wellbeing hub and browse our wellbeing CPD articles.
11. Build in brain breaks
Long lessons can be exhausting, especially as students readjust to the school routine. Build in short movement or mindfulness breaks to help students (and you!) maintain focus and energy throughout the day.
12. Implement time-saving strategies
Reduce your workload by adopting efficient systems for marking, planning and classroom management. Small changes can make a big difference to your work-life balance. Explore these time-saving strategies to free up more of your time this term.
Checking for understanding
13. Use Assessment for Learning strategies regularly
Make checking for understanding a non-negotiable part of every lesson. Use questioning, mini-whiteboards, exit tickets or thumbs up/down to gauge where students are in their learning. This allows you to adapt your teaching in real-time and ensure no one gets left behind. These AFL strategies provide practical techniques you can implement immediately.
14. Embrace low-stakes testing
Regular, low-stakes quizzes help you identify gaps in knowledge without adding pressure. They also normalise the testing process and reduce exam anxiety. Make them quick, frequent and focused on key concepts.
15. Use effective questioning techniques
Move beyond simple recall questions to check deeper understanding. Use techniques like no-hands-up questioning, think-pair-share and follow-up probes to ensure all students are thinking and not just the usual suspects are answering. For more ideas, see these strategies for effective learning.
Retrieval practice routines
16. Start every lesson with retrieval practice
Begin each lesson by asking students to recall information from previous lessons, last week or even last term. This strengthens memory and helps information stick. Make it a routine that students expect and prepare for.
17. Space out your retrieval activities
Don't just test content immediately after teaching it. Space out retrieval practice over days and weeks to strengthen long-term memory. This is when learning really becomes embedded. Discover more techniques with these 20 ideas for making learning stick.
18. Mix up your retrieval strategies
Keep retrieval practice fresh and engaging by varying your approach. Use quizzes, flashcards, brain dumps, concept maps or verbal recall activities. Different methods suit different learners and prevent retrieval practice from becoming stale.
19. Build revision habits early
Don't wait until exam season to teach students how to revise effectively. Use January to establish regular revision routines and teach students effective study techniques. These revision templates and top revision tips can help students develop good habits that will serve them all year long.
Looking ahead
20. Plan for sustainable progress
Finally, remember that January is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't try to implement everything at once. Choose two or three strategies that resonate with you and commit to making them work. Sustainable change happens gradually, and that's absolutely fine.
Here's to a fresh start, renewed energy and a successful spring term. You've got this!
