A Few Tips for Surviving the Last Few Weeks of School
The end of the school year can get hectic and, with a classroom full of students itching to be free of their desks and enjoying the summer, it can feel like you're hanging onto sanity by a thread! The last few weeks of school require a different playbook. While the change doesn't have to be drastic - simple tweaks here and there can go a long way! - there is something to be said about switching it up and finding ways to keep your students in the know and on task!
Here are two simple ideas to get you started...
- Scheduling often offers a distraction as the school year comes to a close. Special events, schedule alterations/interruptions, etc. - it can be hard to keep track of it all! Because routines are so important to the school day, it can often be difficult for students to 'roll with the punches', so to speak, when changes are thrust upon them without warning. We love the idea of creating a large, editable calendar out of bulletin board paper or a pocket chart to display in a conspicuous place to help keep students up to date on schedule/event changes. Posting events, important tests, and schedule deviations on the calendar with colorful sticky notes will make it easy to move them around if the need arises and add as you go. Keeping your students informed will make it easier to roll with the changes and {hopefully!} reduce confusion and questions! [NOTE: If made from butcher paper, marking off each day as it passes also makes this a great countdown tool!]
- Whether you employ positive reinforcement programs throughout the school year or do not find them necessary, giving your students something to work for is also a great way to keep them on task! Painting and popsicles. Drawing and donuts. Board games and blow pops. Movie day and monkey bread (or M&Ms). Take a special activity that your students enjoy, pair it with a fun treat, and invite your students to work together to earn the prize by staying on task, paying attention, following behavior expectations, putting their whole effort into classwork/homework, etc.
While these suggestions aren't fool proof, we think they're a great way to engage your kiddos and make those busy last weeks of school a bit more bearable!