End-of-the-Year whims and woes

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Whew. I’m finally accepting that it is the end of the year! For teachers, we know that the term “end of the year” is not simply the last day of school, but an insanely busy season that more than likely encompasses all of the following: awards, gifts, parties, tests, good-byes, summer homework, cleaning, sorting, labeling and hair-pulling as you witness the slow erosion of a well-trained class into a gaggle of circus monkeys.

I’ve said this phrase so many times already in the past few weeks that people may as well start considering it for the quote on my gravestone: “The end of the year is actually busier than the beginning of the year!” I don’t really know if I can accurately compare both time periods, because I do sort of forget the dreadfully tedious and busy moments that fill up the beginning of the year…but I digress.

If you’re like me, you have a lot planned for the end of the year and also some slots that you can fill with other things that were previously filled with curriculum you’ve completed. My goal here is to give you some ideas to fill up that time. Let me know what your favorite things to do at the end of the year are!

 1. A countdown

             Honestly, this is more for the benefit of the teacher, but the students like it as well. As you get closer to the final days of school, you can do cool things like making a paper chain and taking off one link for every day. I usually string little cards up on the board using clothespins and yarn. Each day of the countdown has a card with a different task or gift written on it for the kids, like an extra brain break or a day of free seats.
2. Class Party

             Of course I'm having a class party! It's just a fun way to be together and say good-bye. I invite the parents, we eat good food, and I say lots of nice things about each student while presenting them with an award.

 3. Exciting science experiments

             I had a heavy focus on social studies this semester and didn't get to a whole of fun science experiments. It can be a pain to go out and obtain all of those materials. But the last week of school, I'm pulling out all the stops and doing some experiments that I'm sure the kids will love! I found a great list of kid-friendly science demos on Buzzfeed.

 4. Extra bag of tricks

              I find that the end of the year can lack the structure of the rest of the year, especially if curriculum has been completed. Sometimes it's a struggle to come up with meaningful activities to keep the kids engaged and still learning, even though we're so close to the end. I try to think of some projects that span several days that the kids can work on, and they love those! But for those extra slots of time that I still need to fill, I have some worksheets and activities printed on hand. 

I created a minions packet geared for K-2nd graders that the kids really enjoy. The kids love the minions so much they forget they’re working!

 





Find the pack here.

             Bonus: Cleaning your classroom. As a first-year teacher, I made the mistake of waiting until the very last day of school to put anything away. In my mind, I thought the kids would get sad/out of control if I started putting away things in the classroom. But another teacher explained to me that it actually can give the students closure about moving on to a new classroom if you show them how the classroom needs to be cleaned and packed away for next year.

I think that’s a great point. When I just started cleaning the last day of school, I had to come in on several glorious, well-earned summer days to finish the tedious task of packing, sorting, cleaning and labeling things in the classroom. I think it took me about five days. It’s unreal how much I underestimated this task.

This year, I’m starting earlier. Like the last week of school. And I won’t be afraid to ask the kids to help me—they enjoy doing those kinds of things! So, that is my advice, newbie teacher. Don’t wait until the last minute and have to spend your summer days cleaning and packing while the other teachers are posting beach selfies. 

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