10 Sanity-Saving Ideas for Teachers to Get To the End of the School Year
It's that time of the year again - when teachers count down the days until the last week of school and into the much-needed summer vacation.
With the last days of school in sight, it can be hard to keep your sanity intact as a teacher. That's why some awesome colleagues and I have compiled this list of sanity-saving ideas for teachers who want to make it through to the end of the year unscathed. These ideas are a great way to make it to the last day of school. So let's go!
✏️ Dry Erase EVERYTHING
Copy numbers are almost nonexistent at this point in the school year. To help keep your students engaged AND solve the no copies problem, Leigh from The Applicious Teacher suggests using dry-erase markers for as many aspects of your lesson. Don’t forget, even a student’s desk can become a dry-erase surface, and it's a fun way to get kids to continue writing and working! Use this trick for studying spelling words or working out math problems! Click here to see more tips for surviving the end of the year!
✏️ Have Something To Look Forward to Each Day
The end of the school year can feel like a sprint marathon for the entire class! One way Amanda from Mrs. Richards'ns Class and her kids all stayed on track yet brought in some extra pazazz for learners to look forward to was with an ABC Countdown. Now, before you think, “Oh, we still have teaching to do!” hear out Amanda from Mrs. Richardson’s Class. This was not a full day of fun, it was a small amount of time that gave them something to look forward to. Art Day was integrating art in whatever way worked with the curriculum. Bubbles Day might mean doing a read-aloud about bubbles and bringing bubbles to the playground. It didn't have to be fancy! Head to Mrs. Richardson’s Class to grab the FREE ABC Countdown list and get busy planning your fun!
✏️ End of the Year Math Campout
Marcy, from Saddle Up for 2nd Grade loves to end the school year with a fun class camping day.
Rather than heading outside with tents and bug spray, Marcy transforms her classroom into a campsite. To create a cozy camping atmosphere, she finds a campfire video on YouTube and projects it on the screen while lowering the lights.
She sets up her end of the year campout math centers and has her students rotate through them throughout the day. Her students use flashlights to complete their math campout review stations, which are hands-on activities that incorporate board games and task cards that cover a variety of math skills.
This special day provides the perfect opportunity for kiddos to review math concepts they have learned throughout the year.
You can read more end of the year activity ideas on Marcy’s blog.
✏️ Meet With Authors
The end of the year can be really tough. The students don’t want to work anymore, you are exhausted and all you want is for summer break to start. While you are waiting for those long summer days, Ronnie from A Teacher’s Wonderland has some ideas to help you pass the time in your classroom. One of my favorite activities to do at the end of the year is to meet with authors. Did you know that you can contact authors and have a Zoom call or a Google Meet call with them? We love to contact authors that we have read throughout the year. If you are looking for more information about author meet and greets, you can read about it here!
✏️ Theme Days
Stephanie from The Simple Classroom recommends using Theme Days to add structure to the chaotic last weeks of school! Planning all of your activities around a single theme boosts student engagement and keeps them working hard, even as the chaos of the end of the year sets in. You can read all about theme days and how to use them to simplify your end-of-the-year plan HERE.
✏️ Focus on Next Year's Class
We know students are looking ahead towards the summer, so it’s time teachers start looking…to next school year!
Molly from Lucky Learning with Molly Lynch loves to sneak in some prep for next year. Doing a little bit each day will get you ready for the Fall so you’re not as stressed or overwhelmed when you’re back in the swing of things.
She shares lots of ideas {and a few goodies} to help get you prepared! Check it out HERE.
✏️ High Interest Learning Opportunities
It's the end of the school year. Teachers are running out of steam, but it seems like the students' energy keeps multiplying! You know exactly what that feels like! Amy Lemons suggests incorporating high-interest independent learning opportunities that will keep your students engaged until the very end. You may be asking, how do I make this happen?! Children love learning about animals. Consider combining their fascination of animals with student-led research. Not only will this provide your students with valuable opportunities to learn about habitats and animal behavior, it will also keep them focused and busy. Join Amy as she shares the steps to animal research along with a fun freebie for your students!
✏️ Great Activity- Crafts!
As we are getting close to the end of the year, you know the thing that brings me and the students joy?! CRAFTS! I love looking for additional opportunities for crafts in the classroom! Michelle from Apples and ABC’s loves doing monthly crafts with her students and has a FREE rainbow craft to share with you!
✏️ Tips
The end of the school year is fast approaching, and it can be a challenge for both students and teachers. After a relaxing spring break, it can be hard to get back into the swing of things and keep up with all the work required to finish the year strong.
Angela from The Daily Alphabet knows this all too well and shares her experience of overcoming the end-of-year struggles in her classroom. It can be easy for routines and procedures to slip during this time, but with Angela's tips, you can stay on track and ensure a successful end to the school year. Check out her story and get inspired!
✏️ The Perfect Time for Theme Weeks and a Memory Book
I'm going to share a great idea I had 15 years ago... I can't believe it was that long ago. I planned a camp end of the year unit with fun activities, and easy lesson plans that was so MUCH FUN! Not only did my kids think this was a fun idea, but they said it was one of their favorite ways to end the school year!
After you have done the hard work of learning all year, it is time to enjoy a fun activity or two. That's why I love to focus on a theme for the week. My camp unit has lots of different things to engage kids while allowing YOU to get work done at school.
Here are just a few things that will ensure a great time for all:
Camp Reader's Theater
Camp Addition and Subtraction
Camp Math Games
Camp T-shirts
Camp Mad Libs
Bubble Math and Science
Quicksand Science
Create a map of camp
And so much more!
Kids can work in small groups, independently, and whole class depending on the activity.
Another fun activity included in Camp End of the Year is a memory book. Kids share their favorite memories of the past year and acquire signatures and messages from their friends. (This takes up TIME and engages the kids. Now you can sneak over and work on report cards, class lists, and more!)
Theme weeks are great for the end of school. Your kids will be ready for the next grade level, and the best part is they will be happy until the last bell rings! You can find all my theme weeks, including Camp End of the Year on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Grab this free memory book to add to your treasure trove of end-of-the-year activities.
