Tips for the Last Days of School

Here at ELMS, we have 19 days of school remaining. From my perspective, finishing a school year in a positive manner is as important as how we begin a new school year. Here is what I shared with my staff:

As we prepare for the last 19 days of this school year, you may want to keep the following in mind:

1. Sometimes we complain that we don't have enough time to teach the areas of our content that we love due to the ever growing amount of assessments and accountability. This is sadly true. However, during the last few days of school, you might consider teaching those topics in your content that you know are most interesting and fun.

2. It is important to encourage students to finish the year well. Consider allowing students who need to bring up their grades opportunities to redeem themselves.

3. Celebrate how far they have come! If you have samples of work from the first unit or two, share them with your classes so that they can see how far they have come as a result of being in your class.

4. Let them see themselves! If you have pictures taken through out the year, use iPhoto to create a slideshow for your classes to see.

5. Keep your sense of humor!

6. Finally, (believe it or not) saying goodbye at the end of the school year can be tough for some of our kids. A lot of our students have formed strong attachments to each of you. "A child spends a big chunk of his life with their teachers, some of whom may have protected her and helped her meet challenges," says Susan Isaacs Kohl. "Kids also cling to their teachers because they're worried about what will be expected of them in the next grade." The process of saying goodbye to students is as important as the way we meet them on the first day of class.

What other advice do you have to share about closing the year in a positive manner?