With Christmas just around the corner, it's easy to let your responsibilities fall by the wayside. This year, most of us are working at home, so it's far too tempting to grab a cup of cocoa, get the wrapping paper out and put a festive film on the telly.

You've got to stay strong!

We all know staying focused before the holidays can be hard, and it's even more difficult to keep your learners motivated too.

That's why we've come up with our top tips to keep the learning alive – and have some festive fun too!

Stick to your guns

Don't let your schedule go out the window! Keep your calendar up to date and make sure you set a good example to your learners. If they see you working hard until the end of term, they'll follow suit.

Be realistic

We all know there's work to be done in the run up to Christmas, but keep your expectations realistic. Your learners will have parties, Christmas shopping and family gatherings keeping them busy throughout the festive period. So forget about the big deadlines and just set small attainable targets.

Keep it short & sweet

Planning fun activities is key in your fight for focus. Schedule short virtual tasks packed full of observations and reflections to help motivate your learners. They'll feel more engaged if they can check in with you on Teams to share their work, so make sure you schedule regular calls too.

Set a good example

We'd all rather snuggle up on the sofa than sit at our desks – just don’t tell your learners that! If they can see that you're logged on, sending emails and scheduling calls, they'll be more motivated to do the same.

Keep in touch

This Christmas may be a little quieter for most people, but your learners may still have social activities to attend online. Make sure you send a few extra messages or emails to remind them of your upcoming remote meetings.

Don't be a grinch

This one might sound a bit odd as we've been banging on about staying focused – but it's Christmas! We may be apart this year, but try to squeeze some seasonal cheer into your activities. Maybe your design apprentice can create some Christmas cards – or your chef apprentice can cook a Christmas pud! Just get creative and have some fun!

 

But it doesn’t end there!

There are so many things you can do to keep your learners having fun – and working hard – at Christmas!

Our software has been supporting apprentices across the country for 17 years – that's 17 Merry Christmases! We've put together a collection of our favourite famous apprentices to help inspire your learners this season.