In this episode, I’m kicking off December with a little real talk about this wild stretch between Thanksgiving and winter break—and how we can make it feel a bit lighter. These weeks can be LONG, so I’m sharing encouragement to protect your energy, give yourself permission to slow down a bit, and be more present with the people you love.

From there, I dive into the fun stuff: practical ways to incorporate movement into your literacy block so you can keep students engaged, focused, and still learning—even when they’re a little squirrely. I walk you through four easy movement routines you can start using right away: “Find Someone Who,” gallery walks, whip arounds, and snowball fights. I explain how each routine works, when to use it, and why taking just a few minutes to get kids up and moving can actually boost attention and comprehension rather than derail your lesson.

I also share tips for explicitly teaching and practicing these routines so they feel structured rather than chaotic—think modeling expectations, practicing the movement without content first, and using visual reminders like slides or anchor charts. Whether you’re looking for simple ways to review content, build in brain breaks that are still connected to instruction, or just survive these last few weeks with a little more joy, this episode will give you low-prep, high-engagement ideas you can use between now and winter break (and then again when you’re back in January!).

***This episode is a replay of Episode 111. While a few details may have shifted or changed since it first aired, the ideas and movement routines are still just as relevant and ready for you to use in your classroom.

Check out our engagement routines teaching slides: stellarteacher.com/movement

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode282.