What are you going to start with this week and why? That is another question I have for the group. For example, on the kids’ first day back, I intend to play Fact or Crap with them in English. It’s a game where someone reads out something written on a card that the listener has to identify as fact or crap. For example, a card might read, “Three species of animals disappear every day from the Earth’s ecosystem.” I’m not even going to try to teach any French that first day back. I just want to hang out with my kids and get to know them better. I’ll have a story ready, of course – I always do. But the best investment I could do on the first day back is talk to hang out with them in English, in my opinion. Of course, it’s not just to get to know them, but to teach them about listening and about my rules. We will practice the rules when we play Fact of Crap. If a kid breaks a rule, I will point it out, of course with a smile on my face. It will remind them from before the break what I demand in my clssroom and thereby set the tone for the rest of the year.
