December is a wonderful month filled with celebrations, end-of-year reflections, and excitement for the new year. But it’s also one of the toughest months for teachers. Students are dreaming about Christmas, schedules get messy with all that’s going on, and motivation dips. As the holidays get closer, many learners mentally check out as they anticipate the break and all the fun that comes with it.

With the right strategies, though, you can keep your students motivated and engaged throughout this festive season. Here are seven practical, teacher-tested ways to maintain engagement all December long.

1) Lean into Seasonal Themes (But Keep Them Purposeful)

Holiday content doesn’t have to feel like “filler.” Use this season to introduce activities that are both fun and meaningful. For ESL classes, that might look like holiday vocabulary scavenger hunts, winter-themed writing/speaking prompts, a “Christmas around the world” cultural lesson, or holiday-related reading tasks..

The more these lessons connect to students’ lives, the more participation will naturally increase.

2) Shift to Shorter, High-Energy Activities

Attention spans get shorter in December, so break lessons into bite-sized segments. Start with a 2-4 minute warm-up, use breakout rooms for small-group activities, incorporate rapid-fire Q&As, have students do micro-presentations, and introduce timed team challenges. Keeping the pace quick helps to counter that classic end-of-year sluggishness.

3) Have Students Take the Lead

Give students more ownership this month and they may surprise you! Have them vote on discussion topics from a curated list. Get a different student to lead the warm-up each class. Assign topics for students to explain a concept to the class. You can also let them choose the types of activities or projects they want to do. Giving students autonomy over their learning goes a long way in boosting engagement.

4) Incorporate Simple, Fun Games

Games work especially well at the end of the year because they bring up the energy instantly. Here are some low-prep options you can try:

• Would You Rather
• 2 Truths and a Lie
• Vocabulary/Picture Match
• Pictionary (with the shared whiteboard)
• Charades (encourages students to turn on their webcams)
• Speed challenges (E.g. “Name 10 ___ in 30 seconds!”

These games don’t have to be elaborate, nor should they take over your lesson. But sprinkling them into your class may help keep the momentum strong.

5) Focus on Connection

In December, both students and teachers are likely feeling tired. Lessons don’t have to be too rigid this month. You can use this time to build rapport with your students, celebrate their progress, acknowledge challenges openly, and check in on goals for the new year.

This is a great opportunity to get to know your students better and vice versa. You can talk about family traditions, long-term aspirations, what students are excited about in the new year, etc. Adding a more human touch to your lessons this month can help students stay present and invested, even when their energy dips.

6) Use Incentives Wisely

A little external motivation can make a big difference. You can set up a participation leaderboard this month, present digital certificates, and offer virtual badges/stickers to keep students engaged. You can also plan a fun “last class before the break” activity and have students look forward to that. These rewards don’t have to be big, they just have to be meaningful and support the learning goals.

7) Try Reflective Activities to Close the Year Strong

December is the perfect time for reflection. In last week’s article, we explored journaling questions you can use to help your ESL students look back on their year and plan for the next. You can turn this into fun discussions, student presentations, or quiet writing time.

A fun idea may be a class showcase where each student shares one thing they learned in 2025 and one goal they have for 2026. You can also use short online surveys to gather feedback about your students’ learning experience. Reflection not only improves participation, but also deepens learning and gives students a sense of closure as the year wraps up.

What strategies help you end the year strong in your online classes? Share your ideas in the comments below!