Closing time
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
-Semisonic
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
-Semisonic
With only 7 days left of school, I KNOW you are beyond busy. There are grades to do, assessments to give, and projects to finish, all while the students are getting all too excited about summer vacation.
When I was in the classroom, every year at this time, my thoughts were mixed...
"7 more DAYS!" Just get me through all this stuff so I can SLEEP."
and
"Only 7 more DAYS? There's still so much I want to do with these kids!"
In the end, I always pushed the envelope and kept delving into more with my kids. Closing my gradebook did not mean that I stopped teaching and that we stopped learning. 7 days is just enough time for one more STEM investigation, another chance for the kids to share their understanding of a new concept learned, and an opportunity to meaningfully reflect with my students on our journey together. Some of my favorite things to do in the last days of the year was to have the students write letters- to their parents, myself, and my future students- reflecting on the year and their growth, do math data collection and analysis about the projects and activities they most benefited from and those they thought I should revise (or get rid of altogether), create video projects of their learning, and set goals (both academic and fun) for the summer.
On the last day of school, be sure to save time for you to just sit with your kids and talk with them about the year. Start your own tradition! I would play a video recapping our year together, then pass around cups of celebratory apple cider to sip on while we each shared a favorite memory. I made sure to tell my kids how much they meant to me and the great things that that I knew awaited them beyond our classroom doors, and handed them letters that I'd written for each of them sharing how much I valued them. I never sent them off without a few tears, but my heart was always full. Those last few moments with my kids always grounded me and energized me during those summer months to make the next year even better because they reminded me of my purpose.
Check out these links for some great ideas on closing up your school year!
35 Things Every Teacher Should Do Before the School Year Ends
Reflective End of Year Activities
Ending the Year on a High Note
When I was in the classroom, every year at this time, my thoughts were mixed...
"7 more DAYS!" Just get me through all this stuff so I can SLEEP."
and
"Only 7 more DAYS? There's still so much I want to do with these kids!"
In the end, I always pushed the envelope and kept delving into more with my kids. Closing my gradebook did not mean that I stopped teaching and that we stopped learning. 7 days is just enough time for one more STEM investigation, another chance for the kids to share their understanding of a new concept learned, and an opportunity to meaningfully reflect with my students on our journey together. Some of my favorite things to do in the last days of the year was to have the students write letters- to their parents, myself, and my future students- reflecting on the year and their growth, do math data collection and analysis about the projects and activities they most benefited from and those they thought I should revise (or get rid of altogether), create video projects of their learning, and set goals (both academic and fun) for the summer.
On the last day of school, be sure to save time for you to just sit with your kids and talk with them about the year. Start your own tradition! I would play a video recapping our year together, then pass around cups of celebratory apple cider to sip on while we each shared a favorite memory. I made sure to tell my kids how much they meant to me and the great things that that I knew awaited them beyond our classroom doors, and handed them letters that I'd written for each of them sharing how much I valued them. I never sent them off without a few tears, but my heart was always full. Those last few moments with my kids always grounded me and energized me during those summer months to make the next year even better because they reminded me of my purpose.
Check out these links for some great ideas on closing up your school year!
35 Things Every Teacher Should Do Before the School Year Ends
Reflective End of Year Activities
Ending the Year on a High Note