Closing up the school year can be stressful. Doing a few things several weeks in advance can help. Here are five tips to help you maintain your sanity at the end of the year.
Note: It’s incredibly important to keep your classroom intact as much as possible until the very last days of the school year. It’s tempting to start removing items earlier, but keeping your room intact benefits students. If you begin to shut down, your students will think it’s time to shut down. Therefore, try to keep things as normal and routine as possible till the very end.
PURGE and ORGANIZE
I can’t stress enough how important purging is. If you haven’t used it, get rid of it. You will not use it. I promise you. If you didn’t use it this school year, it will just collect dust.
Get rid of anything that doesn’t add value or joy to you or your students. Think like Marie Kondo.
Once you’ve purged, organize what’s left. Store items in clear bins so it’s easy to see what’s inside. Then, take inventory of the supplies you have left. This will help you during back to school sales.
Here are some of the bins I use. These are all from my AmazonInfluencer page, so I do receive a small commission if you buy from them.
REFLECT
Spend tie reflecting on your year. What would you improve? What do you want to do again? What do you want to add to? I try to do this all year long by writing notes in my plan book. Review your plan book and think about what went well and what didn’t. Take notes to reflect on it during the summer or when you are planning.
Note: I take a break in the summer. I think that is very important. But there are times when I think about school {usually a week or two after we get out and then right before we return}.
Plan and Prep for august
We get a half day at the end of the year to plan for the following school year. I appreciate this time so much because it definitely decreases my stress and anxiety come back to school. My team typically does this about a month before school lets out. I have found when we do it later, we are more focused on ending the year. If you do not get time from your district, I recommend you use some of your team planning time to do it. It’s extremely helpful!
Once you plan, focus on the first two weeks. Print, copy, and prep everything you need. Have everything prepped because come August, you’re going to be swamped! If your work week is anything like ours, you will have a lot of meetings and spend time catching up with colleagues. You don’t want to burn yourself out before school begins by staying late
prepping everything. So – help yourself and do those types of tasks now.
prepping everything. So – help yourself and do those types of tasks now.
I’m not an advocate for doing the same thing year after year. However, there are some activities, parent materials, and assessments that you reuse each year, especially those resources that help us learn more about your students. Get everything ready now! Place them in a storage container and label it so you remember where everything is.
Last week
Finish up tasks that you still need to complete. Then, get started on the last week of school list. Enlist student’s help with as many of these tasks as you can.
During the last week of school:
· Clean out cubbies and mailboxes.
· Clean and organize supply bins.
· Clean all flexible seating.
· Clean materials such as whiteboards, bins, book boxes, laptops.
· Sharpen any leftover pencils.
· Clean and organize the classroom library. Look for books that are in need of repair
or replacing.
or replacing.
On the last day of school:
· Wipe down outsides and insides of tables/desks. We use shaving cream. It really works at removing excess glue!
· Have students help you move tables, stack chairs and cover shelving to eliminate
dust collecting.
dust collecting.
You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish by picking just one or two tasks to
focus on per week. Come the last day of school, you’ll only need to take down what is left.
focus on per week. Come the last day of school, you’ll only need to take down what is left.
Follow these simple steps and I promise that you will have less stress and be prepared for the following year. You may even thank me!
