End of the School Year

Final Weeks of School

Final Weeks of School

  May      June
Can you believe, we are in the last lap of the year?

What are your goals?
How do you maintain high expectations for learning and behavior?  
How do you maintain routines?

Here are some tips to set up students and staff during the final weeks of school:

Get into a project you've wanted to do all year. Do something hands-on, project-based, and fun. They'll get into anything you're passionate about. 

Ideas:

Passion project/ Genius Hour

Project Based Learning ideas

Teach peers

Technology integration- Breakout Edu  Showyourwork

Increase engagement strategies:  Engagement article

But don't abandon all the routines and structures you've used all year. Kids of all ages need those routines to continue. If you start showing movies all day, every day, or have a whole lot of parties, kids are likely to get a little wacky.

Give kids time and tools to reflect on their school year. They can write, make scrapbooks, record a video piece, or create drawings. Prompt them to think about what they learned, how they learned, what was challenging, how they dealt with those challenges, what they feel proud of, how they changed, what advice they have for kids entering that grade next year, and so on. Give yourself time to reflect. Read all their reflections, and talk to the kids about what they've learned and how they have changed.  It's critical that you see how you changed, where you have grown, and what you learned. 

Celebrate with your students and their families, with your colleagues, and with your loved ones. With students, you can have a kind of awards ceremony or portfolio celebrations where you celebrate growth and learning. 

Please add a idea in the comments how you can end the year on a positive note!