After the Snow Days: Why a PBIS Reset Isn’t “Extra”—It’s Essential
- dadiazarn
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Extended snow days can feel like an unexpected gift: slower mornings, canceled commutes, a pause from the relentless pace of school. But when students return—especially our youngest learners—the reality often looks very different from where we left off.
For students in Kindergarten through Grade 3, school is not just a place to learn reading and math. It’s where they are actively learning how to be students: how to transition, regulate emotions, work with peers, and engage in structured learning environments.
After an extended break, many of those skills need to be revisited intentionally.
That’s not a failure of students. It’s developmentally appropriate.
Young children rely heavily on:
Predictable routines
Explicit modeling
Frequent feedback
Adult co-regulation
When those systems disappear for an extended period—whether due to snow days, illness, or holidays—students don’t simply “bounce back” on day one.
What we often see instead:
Increased dysregulation
Difficulty with transitions
Reduced stamina for independent work
More peer conflict
Behavior that looks like regression but is actually relearning
This is especially true for students who, before the break, relied on additional structure, positive reinforcement, or adult check-ins to maintain learning-to-learn behaviors.
Those supports don’t vanish just because the calendar changed.
PBIS Reminds Us: Behavior Is Learned
PBIS gives us a crucial frame here: If behavior is learned, it must be re-taught after disruption.
Reteaching expectations after extended snow days is not “lost instructional time.”It is instruction.
A Tier 1 PBIS reset helps:
Reestablish predictability and safety
Reduce behavior escalation later
Support academic engagement
Prevent unnecessary Tier 2 and Tier 3 referrals
In other words, slowing down early helps everyone move faster later.
What a PBIS Reset Can Look Like in Practice
In the first days back, effective classrooms often:
Re-teach schoolwide and classroom expectations explicitly
Model routines as if it were the first week of school
Practice transitions multiple times without embarrassment or shame
Increase specific, positive feedback (“You showed responsibility by…”)
Assume positive intent when correcting behavior
This isn’t lowering expectations. It’s clarifying them.
Younger Students Need Us to Say the Quiet Part Out Loud
For K–3 students especially, expectations that feel “obvious” to adults are not obvious at all.
Walking quietly in the hallway. Waiting your turn. Managing frustration during independent work.
These are complex skills—and after time away, they need to be practiced again.
Students who previously needed extra encouragement may need that same encouragement reinstated, without judgment or frustration.
Support is not a reward. It’s part of the learning process.
A Collective Reset Matters
PBIS works best when students experience consistency across classrooms, grade levels, and school spaces. When the entire building treats the post-break period as a reset—not a return to “business as usual”—students feel safer, calmer, and more capable.
The message we send matters:
You belong here. We’ll help you remember how this works.
That message builds trust .And trust builds learning.
Final Thought
Snow days disrupt more than schedules—they disrupt systems that many children depend on to succeed.
Taking time to reteach expectations is not indulgent or inefficient.
It is responsive, trauma-informed, and deeply professional.
If you’re feeling like you’re “going backwards” this week, you’re not.
You’re rebuilding the foundation.
And that work counts.
Here is a letter you can edit to send to your student's family.
Family-Facing Letter (Editable)
Subject: Helping Students Settle Back Into School Routines
Dear Families,
After our recent extended snow days, students are returning to school routines that may feel a little unfamiliar—especially for our youngest learners.
At school, teachers are taking time to review expectations, practice routines, and provide extra encouragement to help students feel successful and confident. This is a normal and important part of helping children transition back into learning.
Some students—particularly those who benefited from additional structure or positive reinforcement before the break—may need extra reminders and support as they readjust.
You can help at home by:
Talking with your child about school expectations
Encouraging routines like regular sleep and morning schedules
Celebrating positive behaviors and effort
Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s learning and growth.
Sincerely,[School/Grade Team]
Teacher Checklist: First Week Back PBIS Reset
Daily Priorities (Days 1–5)
☐ Review schoolwide PBIS expectations in student-friendly language
☐ Model expectations for hallways, bathrooms, cafeteria, playground
☐ Practice routines as a class (lining up, transitions, attention signals)
☐ Use visuals and anchor charts consistently
☐ Increase praise and acknowledgment for expected behaviors
☐ Build in movement and regulation breaks
☐ Assume positive intent and respond with calm corrections
Classroom Focus Areas
☐ Morning routines (arrival, materials, morning work)
☐ Transitions between activities☐ Independent work stamina
☐ Peer interactions and problem-solving
Reflection Questions for Teachers
Which expectations need additional modeling?
Which students need renewed reinforcement or check-ins?
Are expectations being stated clearly and positively?
Resources:
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