It always fascinates me how the first day of school and the end of the year have been placed on the calendar for MONTHS, yet it always seems to catch me off guard and come faster than I ever could have imagined! Does it feel that way to you, too?
I am a planner, organizer, and a bit OC when it comes to having things in working order, but no matter how hard I try, I struggle to avoid even a little bit of chaos during these exciting times. There always tends to be one last… bit of data to enter, report card to complete, gift to buy, meeting to attend, task that needs tending to, etc! Tell me I am not alone in this end of year cycle that I swear won’t happen the next.
My one tip to surviving the chaos is this…always have one extra engaging lesson/activity/learning tool for students to work on that is copied, in an easy-to-access spot with any and all materials ready to go…because you never know when one of these LASTS may pop up!
Just like my students, I am pumped for that last day of the year. Being a 6th grade teacher and student, we get to look forward to the 6th Grade Graduation, which takes place every year at 9:30AM. Problem is, the students arrive at 8:15AM and all of their materials have been taken home the previous day.
While a movie could work, this is the last time these students will be interacting in this specific setting! I try to make it memorable! This is the perfect time to put finishing touches on that Moments and Memories Reflection Journal by allowing students to autograph, add tidbits about the year, etc! Have it ready to go!
