Planning fun New Year activities for high school English students is one of my favorite things to do because I love the thought of a fresh start! While it’s never too early or too late to make positive changes and reflect on our own lives, the new year is the traditional time for goal-setting and planning.
I’ve learned that incorporating fun New Year activities in my high school English classroom is a great way to start the year off right. I also get to learn more about my new students (we’re on a semester schedule) and gain a lot of accountability partners!
It’s never easy going back to school after winter break, but I’ve found that using a variety of fun new year activities keeps everyone entertained and still learning.
These are my favorite New Year activities for high school English that keep my students learning while also having fun! Try using a few of these easy but engaging activities to keep your students setting goals, learning about themselves and others, and also practicing their reading and writing skills.
1. Have students create vision boards that inspire them!
I am a sucker for a good vision board. I was surprised that many of my high school English students had never even heard about the process, though. I like to show my students what vision boards are, then give them tips on how to create their own digital vision boards. We set their vision boards as their homescreens on their Chromebooks, so they see them every single day. They act as reminders of all of the things they want to accomplish, all of the things that they’re grateful for, and all of the things to look forward to.
I encourage my high school English students to work on reflecting on their dreams, goals, interests, strengths, and growth areas. Then, I have them pick three goals and make a small action plan for each goal. These vision boards are so fun for me to see because I always learn more about my students and what motivates them!
2. Teach students about infographics – then have them create their own all-about-me infographic!
This is one of my all-time favorite New Year activities for the high school English classroom! I love having my students create personal infographics because it introduces them to a form of digital media literacy and also gives them ideas for future projects. I have them read about what infographics are and why they’re used. Then, I’ll show them an infographic that I made about myself!
I have them reflect on the things that would be included in their own personal infographics. Then, after a brief tutorial, I have them create their own infographics on Google Slides! I give some of my students who do not love the creative process a pre-made template. I also pre-recorded a few tutorials on how to use shapes, images, etc. in Google Slides. However, you could simply do a quick whole-class tutorial before you get started. In the end, we put all of our infographics together on a shared Google Slides document. We get to talk about the things we have in common and the things that we’d like to learn more about! I even did a quick TikTok tutorial on how I do this in my own class if you’d like to check it out here!
3. Lead students in creating a New Year reflection journal!
Out of all of the fun new year activities for high school English, this one is my favorite. I love to start the year by completing a journaling activity. I encourage students to reflect on what they’ve learned in the past year and the goals they want to accomplish in the new year. We complete a ten-page booklet that fits perfectly into composition books. Throughout the semester, I have them flip to their journals in their composition books and check-in on their goal progress.
The journal doesn’t simply challenge students to think of a new year’s resolution; it also directs their focus on how they can become a better person and set attainable goals for the new year. Many of my students have inspired me with their journaling ideas and I’ve learned how to be a better goal-setter because of them! Aren’t high school students THE BEST!? UGH. WHAT A JOY IT IS TO TEACH THEM! (Even on their not-so-lovely days. ha!)
I love doing any kind of creative project with my high school English class, especially during the new year, so let me know if you’ve got anything to add to the mix!
P.S. If you’d like to join my newsletter, where I send out TONS of lesson ideas, free resources, and other fun things to use in the high school English classroom, you can sign up here. Don’t forget that all of my VIP newsletter subscribers always get a discount in my resource shop!
