Last updated: December 2024 | Reading time: 7 minutes
Our December Dilemma…
Holiday lights are twinkling, your Netflix que is calling, and you can’t wait to bake a few dozen gingerbread cookies and whip up your famous homemade hot chocolate. But instead of readying yourself for a few cozy nights on the couch, you’re staring at a mountain of essays, tweaking your cumulative final, and wondering how you’ll survive the next three weeks without losing it.
Sound familiar?
What if we do something different this year? I’m talking about ditching the post-holiday grading marathon.
As a pregnant first-time mom with nursery decorating on my mind, I’m thinking about the epic grading sessions between family gatherings that I used to make myself do. I would try to block out 2-4 hours a day to get through my grades, or maybe two days of 10 hours each. There’s no way I’d want to do that this year. But honestly? None of us should have to do it.
After 14 years of teaching high school ELA, I’ve learned that ending the semester strong doesn’t mean setting yourself up to have to work your tail off all break long. We can keep students engaged AND give ourselves permission to skip the heavy grading this winter!
Today, I’m sharing how you can wrap up this semester differently, including practical strategies, free resources, and tips that’ll help you end on a high note without sacrificing your sanity (or your sleep).
What You Can Change This December
Out: The Cumulative Final Exam
How about making the end-of-unit test and final paper the final exam grade? No separate cumulative exam. No extra stress.
Why this works: Students already demonstrated mastery through authentic assessments all semester. A cumulative exam feels unnecessary, and I never liked making kids study novel details months after we finished a novel anyway.
In: Meaningful Activities I Can Grade Quickly
I’m focusing more on in-class activities that either get graded as we go or can be assessed at a glance this December. Think reflection exercises, discussions, debates, and creative activities that only take 1-2 days.
Why this works: My students stay engaged, we have some fun in the usually dull month of December, and I maintain work-life balance! We all end the semester feeling accomplished instead of depleted, and there’s less stress for everyone.
Strategy #1: Build in Student Self-Reflection (It’s Not Optional!)
Why Self-Reflection Matters
When I was a new teacher, I skipped closure activities entirely. I was too busy frantically trying to finish my curriculum while drowning in grading.
But real closure isn’t just nice to have: it’s essential. Self-reflection helps students:
- Internalize what they’ve learned. This removes the feeling that we’re just “covering material” all semester. They actually think about what skills and key knowledge they’ve gained through what we’ve done.
- Take ownership of their growth. Students think about how THEY play a role in their learning journey and ultimate success. It’s not all on me (the teacher) to impart knowledge; what are they doing to move THEMSELVES forward?
- Develop a growth mindset. Giving them this time to think about thier choices, how things are going, and how they can improve serves them beyond your classroom!
- Prepare for next semester. Kids need time to set clear goals and cultivate an awareness of how their time in your class can be useful to them and improve THEIR lives and their skill sets. This helps them get more out of next semester!
Plus, when you have them do this reflection worksheet, YOU get valuable insights into what’s actually working in your classroom (and what isn’t).
How to Implement Student Reflection This Week
The Quick Win: Use a structured self-reflection worksheet where students assess their strengths, areas for improvement, and goals for next semester.
Use My Questions, or Edit the Document! Sample Questions to Add…
- “What was your favorite text we studied this semester and why?”
- “How has your writing evolved since August?”
- “What classroom strategies helped you most with literary analysis?”
Pro tip: Offer extra credit for thoughtful completion of the worksheet activity. This quick reflection low-stakes, takes 10-15 minutes, and provides closure that benefits everyone.
→ Download the FREE Self-Reflection Worksheet 🎯
Strategy #2: Gather Student Feedback (Yes, Really!)
How Teacher Evaluations Boost My Practice
I’ve been letting students complete teacher evaluations (of me!) for 14 years, and I cannot recommend it enough.
I know it sounds scary. What if they say something mean? But here’s the truth: Most students will say genuinely nice things. Many comments will actually lift you up. And you’ll learn invaluable insights that make you a better teacher.
How to Frame It (Keep Students Constructive)
Before handing out feedback forms, I say something like:
“Remember, I’m a person with feelings! You can say you didn’t like something. I genuinely want honest feedback! But please don’t write anything mean, okay?”
This simple framing works wonders. The comments and feedback are constructive, I can take what the kids say in a positive light as I read, and almost NOBODY has ever written anything hurtful.
What You’ll Gain
- Stronger relationships – Students feel heard and valued. They see that you truly care about what they think and want to be the best teacher you can be. You also show humility, model self-reflection, and model a growth mindset!
- Actionable insights – You learn what’s working and what needs tweaking! Take note of what you definitely want to keep or continue doing AND what may need ditching or changed.
- Spring semester ideas – Students often make great suggestions and help you see what THEY want to study again or focus more on in the spring.
- Renewed energy – Positive feedback reminds you why you teach! I set aside a few worksheets each year so I can save the nice comments in my “Save It” sentimental folder. You should too!
Time investment: 10 minutes of class time
Value: Priceless professional development
→ Get the FREE Teacher Feedback Survey 🎯
Strategy #3: Work Smarter with December Teaching Hacks
1. Plan Backward from Finals
Once you’ve created your final exam or project, work backward to determine what review sessions and work days students will need. BUILD THESE IN as you plan the month’s lessons/unit calendar!
For AP Lit teachers: Consider ending with targeted test prep that mimics the exam format (timed poetry analysis essays or multiple-choice practice). Starting review NOW (rather than cramming in April) reduces stress for everyone.
→ Grab AP Lit Test Prep Resources
Want an EASY final unit? You can do this POETRY UNIT in 2 weeks and use the final assessment as your “final exam”! Works for AP Lit OR advanced high schoolers (grades 10-12).
2. Inject FUN into Your December Plans
I know it’s a bit gloomy and slushy outside, but December doesn’t have to feel like a slog! Hang some twinkle lights, grab some sparkly snowflake decor, and try breaking up the routine with engaging activities that reinforce learning without feeling like extra work:
Ideas that work:
- Literary Year in Review – Students create memes or cartoons based on characters and themes from semester readings. Try this one!
- Thematic Debates – My 11th graders like doing end-of-year debates on social issues/themes from our texts (like The Crucible & 1984). This really works well if you can bring in modern parallels to your debate stems. These types of activities keep energy high and reinforce learning without feeling like extra work. (🎯 Grab this FREE Debate-Maker guide!)
- Semester Soundtrack – Students curate playlists that represent texts studied with written explanations. Have them include the lyrics & a brief analysis explaining how/why the song fits the text!
December FUN days will help you deal with the high energy kids often have as the semester winds down. Plus, you’ll turn a cold and blustery month into enjoyable time for you & reinforce critical thinking skills with memorable-yet-low-stakes activities.
→ Download the FREE Debate-Maker Guide
3. Streamline Your Grading Process
Stop doing this: Grading each student’s entire test before moving to the next one
Start doing this: Grade one page/section at a time across all tests
Other game-changers:
- Work on editing/revision skills WITH students before collecting essays.
- Use rubrics consistently (they speed up grading tremendously).
- Set a timer for feedback. I use a 10-minute sand timer per paper to help me move along at a decent pace and avoid burnout.
- Grade only what matters most; not everything needs detailed comments!
→ More Fast Grading Tips for High School ELA Teachers
What to Try This Week
Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Start small:
Choose ONE:
- Plan to hand out the self-reflection worksheet as tomorrow’s bell ringer.
- Plan one FUN day next week (literary memes? debates? your call!).
- Plan some time for the teacher evaluation worksheet before heading off to winter break!
The Permission Slip You’ve Been Waiting For
Here’s what I want you to remember: You don’t have to spend every spare moment grading to be a good teacher.
Your students need you present, positive, and energized more than they need every single assignment returned with extensive feedback. I know many of us feel that doing more, grading more, and writing/typing more on student work is the only way to be seen as a “good teacher,” but it’s really more about HOW YOU SHOW UP IN CLASS EACH DAY that students will notice, remember, and comment on. If we’re burned out, we can’t be the rockstar, positive teachers we want to be!
Your family needs you during the holidays, and YOU need to actually rest so you can come back in January ready to inspire your students! So, this December, choose sanity over stress. Let’s use smart strategies that benefit our students without destroying our work-life balance. My wish for you is that you’re able to do what YOU want and need to do over Christmas/Winter Break. So, go ahead and bake some warm cookies, turn on your favorite guilty pleasure TV shows, and enjoy a big mug of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows without the guilt.
Free Resources Mentioned in This Post
All resources are aligned with Common Core ELA standards and include editable files for easy customization!
- FREE Self-Reflection Worksheet – Help students assess growth and set goals
- FREE Teacher Feedback Survey – Gather valuable insights from students
- FREE Debate Day Guide – Create engaging debates tied to your texts
- Fast Grading Tips – A blog post all about how to streamline your feedback process
Have you tried any of these strategies? What’s working (or not working) in your classroom this December? Drop a comment below!
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Related Posts You Might Love:
- How to Teach Revision to High Schoolers
- Teaching The Crucible
- Planning a Year of AP Lit
- Popular December Unit for AP Lit (Romanticism)
- Survival Guide for AP Lit Teachers
- Self-Reflections for Teens
About the Author: Carly Lamp has taught English 11/English III (American Lit) for 13 years & AP Literature for 10 years. She creates thorough, thoughtful, and rigorous materials, units, and resources for high school English teachers through both her blog and her TPT store (both named English with Mrs. Lamp). She believes great teaching shouldn’t require burning yourself out!
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