The end of the school year is near for many of us. Twelve bloggers have joined together to share their best tips for making this time of year manageable instead of chaotic.
Maintain Routines and Structure
This is not the time of year to try out a new classroom management system or give up on teaching curriculum. Stick to your tried and true lesson format, routines and classroom structures. Even if other classrooms are constantly showing movies or playing games, students appreciate learning if the teacher keeps teaching.
Maintain High Standards for Students
It’s the end of the year and we are all tired, but that does not mean that students should be exempted from high academic and behaviour standards. Keep checking homework, classwork, and assignments. You might not mark every piece of paper, but checking for content completion and comprehension is critical especially at this time of year.
Let Students Help
Let students help with the end of the year clean up and organization that must happen. Students like to be busy and feel like they made a difference.
Below is a list of tasks you could get students to help with during the last weeks of school:
- sort and tidy up the classroom library (check for missing labels, broken spines, proper shelving order and any other issues they might find)
- repair broken books from the classroom library
- checking school supplies to ensure they are still in working condition (markers, glue sticks, rulers, calculators, scissors, pencil crayons)
- desk and locker cleanout
- help clean out the school book storage room (with teacher supervision)
- help to clean out the school supply room (with teacher supervision)
- tidy and clean classroom shelves, bins, desks, tables
- help remove bulletin board displays and decorative trimmers and paper (if at student height level)
- pack up classrooms (where required)
- help move small items for teachers who are moving classrooms
Engage Students in Service Projects
Have your students plan an activity afternoon for a younger grade. This could range from as big as an outdoor play day, or as small as students creating math board games and stations to help younger students reinforce their math skills. Think outside of your school. What are your students’ interests, and plan a service project that benefits their interests and your communities needs?
Click on the links below to read more fantastic ideas from 11 other teacher bloggers.
More End of the Year Survival Tips
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I love the service project idea! There's so much possibility there. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Students really do love to help organize at the end of the year! Great ideas! 🙂
I never thought of putting kids to work like this – brilliant!!
Thanks for all your hard work on this blog hop!!
~Addie
I agree that staying the course with routine is so important for kids at the end of the year! 🙂
-Lisa
Yes, Kristy, I agree! It's tempting to get lax with routines and expectations, but students will always push the boundaries and the class can get crazy very quickly.
Love your ideas for having students help…I always have students who want to help and struggle with what to give them to do. Thanks.
I love the student help idea! I also find it's so meaningful for students to figure out how much work cleanup actually is, and how much easier it is for a whole group. Thanks, Kristy!
We have the students help each year. Today they moved books to the storage room and took down some of the posters off the wall. Tomorrow it will be sorting school supply bins.
Wonderful tips, Kristy! You're so right with keeping routine!