S'More From The AP
Week Ending May 15, 2015
Ending Strong - A Note from Kelly!
It’s here. I can see it, I can sense it. The fatigue. The crankiness. The short fuses. The emotions. No one is immune – not teachers, not students, not parents. What is it you ask? It’s May….which means there are only a few short weeks of school left. I also think it would be safe to say that it also means that we, as teachers, find ourselves having to take a deep breath, count to 10 (or 20…or higher!), and “check ourselves” this time of year to preserve our sanity. Believe me when I say that there is no one that values and appreciates your sanity more than I do. :-) So in order to ensure you keep it these last few weeks, please read on!
You’re tired. You’re students are too. However, now more than ever, it is important to make the most of the time that is left. Remember……
“The race isn’t over until you cross the finish line. You’ll be surprised at how much can change in the last twenty strides.” —Jackie Dugall
So what do you do now to engage students, capture their interest, and guarantee high-level learning continues right up until the last day of school?
Here are some critical things to remember during these last few weeks:
- Keep the routines and structures that have been in place all year – While end-of-year activities will impact the daily schedule on certain days, the classroom routines and structures should stay the same as much as possible. Kids thrive on these routines and without them, things can quickly turn chaotic in the classroom. Constant teacher supervision is also a must to avoid any altercations in the classroom.
- Keep an academic focus - Another tempting thing to do at this point in the school year is to "stop learning". What!!?? Aren't we in school? Just because STAAR is over, doesn't mean the learning is over. WE know that, but the students have to know that too! If students get the message that they are done learning because they are done testing, expect to be spending a majority of your time correcting behavior. If you keep the spirit of learning alive in your classroom, your students will understand that your expectations for them haven't changed.
- Make activities about the students and their interests– Research shows that behavior problems in the classroom decrease when students are actively engaged. Do something hands-on, project-based, and fun! Students will get into anything they are passionate about. This would be the ideal time to take on Genius Hour, especially if you haven’t tried it yet. There are several teachers on campus that have, and I’m sure would be willing to help get you started.
- Provide students time to reflect on their school year – Students can write, put together a scrapbook, record a video, or create a drawing. Have students think about what they learned during the year, how they learned, what challenged them, what they feel proud of, etc. Model the process and have students share their pieces.
- Stay positive….always - Throughout my years in education, I have learned the power of positivity. You will always get a much better response from your students, or from anyone for that matter, when you use positive reinforcement versus negative reinforcement. Pointing out the positive things motivates those around us to do the same. You know the old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.” There couldn’t be a time where this is truer than at the end of the school year.
So there you have it – Your foolproof plan to make it through the end of the year! Well, maybe not 100% foolproof, but definitely a plan to keep your students engaged and a plan to help you keep your sanity these last few weeks of school!