Tips for the End of the Year
Posted by Hope Spencer on 11 Jun 2009 | Posted in: Classroom Management, Grade 1, Grades 2-3, Intermediate, Kindergarten, Organization and Supplies, Preschool, Teachers and Teaching, The Mailbox
This time of year can be a whirlwind of activity! There are so many things to accomplish! First and foremost, activities must be wrapped up. But, there is also a room to clean and organize for the next school year, as well as a roomful of students to send off for the summer! To help you as you make your way, I’ve collected several of my favorite tips from current issues of The Mailbox® magazine.
I keep a file folder wish list. When I see an item in a magazine that I’d like or I need for my classroom, I cut out the picture and tape it inside a file folder. I have the folder handy when I complete my supply order or when I shop garage sales over the summer. It’s an easy way to keep up with the things I’ll need in the fall.—from June/July Grades 2/3 Mailbox Magazine
To ease my students’ upcoming transition to second grade, I invite each second-grade teacher, in turn, to read her favorite storybook to my class. The storytime visits reduce youngsters’ anxiety and create anticipation for the fall.—from June/July Grade 1 Mailbox Magazine
As I sort through my classroom at the end of the year, I set beginning-of-the-year materials aside in my “First Week of School” tub. This saves time and prepares me for the first week of kindergarten.—from June/July Kindergarten Mailbox Magazine
Intermediate teachers, click here to get a reproducible page from Intermediate June/July Mailbox Magazine that’s sure to help your students wrap up the end of their school year!
Congratulations to Jamie Nolan, Data Administrator; Port Washington, USFD; Port Washington, NY. She is the winner of the Math Skills Workout Book (Grade 4) in our weekly blog drawing.
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This was my first year teaching and I successfully completed it!
At the end of the year, my class created a Classroom Handbook for next year’s third graders. Each student wrote a letter and gave helpful tips. I put them all together and created a book. I plan to read the book to my students next year at the beginning of the year. I think it will be helpful for the students to begin understanding my expectations.
I teach 2nd grade and one thing I do at the end of the year is read The Important Book. I have the kids write about the most important thing about 2nd grade is . . . I have a page template that I have them use. Once that is complete and they’ve drawn a picture to go with it, I put together a Podcast. We scan their pictures and have the kids record their paragraph on garage band. They love to watch the final product before they leave at the end of the year. It’s a great way to start the school year with my new second graders!
Hi,
I have a beginning of the year folder that I have already pulled out.I even added August to the calendar. I make my copies with the Kissing Hand activities/Miss Bindergarten now. I also have my copies with Kindergarten Survey, first year assessment, and OLA (oral language assessment). I take home name tags to clean and reuse. I also try to make sure name tags are punched out and ready to go. I am sure a lot of us go back before we are required too. As soon as floors are cleaned, I will put my room back to normal. I also just got a bulletin board outside that I need to add some fabric to it. Need to measure. Hope everybody enjoys their summer.
Lori
I love bookbag and this site. Due to cutbacks within our district, I am a long term substitute. Since I never know what grade I will be teaching, I need new tools to put in my “bag of tricks”. I have used the great ideas whether I’m in an assignments for 8 weeks or the whole year.
At the end of the year, to show my students and their parents how much they have grown, I compile some of their work (that I saved) in a folder with the self-portrait they drew at the beginning of the year and one that they draw the last week of school. Students are so surprised by how their writing has improved and of course parents love seeing their childs growth too!
I just finished “moving up” my four preschool classes and am so excited to have some quiet time in my classroom to rearrange furniture, toss and replace toys and materials, and do a thorough cleaning. I bring most of my Brios, blocks, plastic animals, pretend food, etc. home and run them through the dishwasher in a mesh bag. During the last two weeks of school we had a “Dads and Donuts” day where students sat and had snack and did a craft activity with their dads or other special guests since our classes end prior to Father’s Day. I also let all children pick a final gift from my “treasure chest,” which I use as an incentive system all year long. We ended each class with an ice cream sundae party. Over the summer I scan my back issues of Mailbox, teaching supply catalogs, library books and other sources for ideas and make a “wish list” of things I’d like to purchase. I tape pictures of these things into the back of next year’s plan book so I can keep track. As we all know, even during the summer months, a teacher’s work is never done.
I teach Grade 6. Each year, we make a small yearbook. Each child’s picture is on the top of the page, and underneath there’s a fill in the blank section (name, age, favorite Gr. 6 memory, what I’m looking forward to in Gr. 7, etc.). I also photocopy and label our class picture. On our last full day of school, we then autograph each other’s yearbooks. I also have kids bring in a light colored pillowcase. We take turns autographing and decorating each other’s pillowcases.
I am planning on supplementing my daughter’s education for next year (I normally teach Physics (HS)) So this is a new area for me to delve into. I really like the set up of this website and all their books. My daughter will be turning 3 and starting early childhood special ed.
I am always amazed at how much JUNK I have collected over the year that I don’t need or use. I make a Freebie Tub and let my co-workers go through it and then left overs go to anyone who wants it.
I was able to get several “old reading series” books and have checked them out to one of my support readers for additional summer practice. (His mom and I have worked together a lot this year and I know the books will come back!)
I also am giving my children post cards to mail back to me (at school) so that they can tell me what they are doing and how they are enjoying their days off.
We are in our last 3 days and I am so excited to be able to work 1/2 days without my students. I love being in my room and getting it ready for my newest class! I know “sick” isn’t it?! You either are a TEACHER 24/7 or are a teacher. :0)
My students do a couple of activities to wrap the year up. On eis called the ABC’s of Foruth Grade. They have to write each letter of the alphabet vertically on a piece of paper and then they tried to think of activities we did in the classroom for each letter of the alphabet. They really get creative with some of the letters.
The second activity we do is called Welcome to Fourth Grade. This is a booklet the students do which I put on the incoming fourth graders desk for the first day of school. First, we talk about all the activities we did throughout the year and write these on the board. Next, the students have to pick six activites they would like to tell a new fourth graders about. They draw a picture of the activity and havae to write four sentences describing the activity. Finally, the last page of the booklet is the advice page. The students have to give advice on how to survive the fourth grade.
I teach first grade, at the end of each school year we make a “My Favorite Part of First Grade” book. Every student has a page in the book where they finish the sentence: My favorite part of first grade was when I …. The top portion of the page is where the students draw a picture to match what they wrote about. Their picture is draw with a pencil only (remind them to press hard). My aide also has a page. I include my page at the end where I write, for example: My favorite part of first grade was when room 1 students learned to read and write stories during Writer’s Workshop. I draw a picture of myself with all my students around me with big happy smiles. All my students get a copy of the entire book, which includes a nice cover with school name and year. The students and I really enjoy it, it’s a nice memory book of what they liked and learned and has a nice memory of all their friends, where they can color in the pictures that their friends drew. At the beginning of September I share this book with new first grade students to share what kinds of things they have to look forward too. Have fun!
I like the comments from different teachers. they help to improve skills. In my case pupils in the second grade presents their experiences in an assembly to arouse the first graders to be eager for the coming school year.
I bought a pack of cardboard file storage boxes at an office supply store. I organized all my books and materials and labeled each box. At the beginning of the next school year I know where everything is and it makes it easier for me to set up my classroom and I can ether recycle the boxes or put them away for the end of the school year again.
I home school my two girls, kindergarden and 3rd. To prepare for the next year I organize our school closet by grade with two toy organizers with buckets, re-labeling them. The girls help with this too. I also look for great ideas for crafts and recipes and cut out the pages and put in sheet protectors, grouping themes together and put in three-ring binder for each grade. All used and unwanted books I donate to the local library.
I put up my bulletin boards for fall before I leave for the summer, and cover them up with bulletin board paper. This saves a lot of time for organizing my classroom when school starts in August
I had a wonderful teaching partner who retired and have used her “end of the year” idea ever since. The children moving on fill in a sheet called “A WORD FROM THE WISE”. It is full of sentence starters like….If you want to stay on the good side of Mrs. y. you better…… If you forget your homework you may as well….. Both teachers(I job share) are the same because……but they’re different because….. If you get in trouble….Then we paste them into a little 81/2 X 11 paper…the class decorates the front with WELCOME TO DIV. 4! and the new students open them during the first week of school in Sept.
I teach kindergarten and started tubs with lids for each month. I told myself that all I need to save for each month would fit in one tub. I was a pack-a-holic but decided this past year to go through my big boxes and throw out or save in one box till the end of the year. Now when the year came to an end, I put everything that I didn’t want on a table and drew kids names. They could come up and pick whatever they wanted. They were so excited to get things from the teacher. Even their brothers and sisters came in the next day to see if I had anything else. I also set out books from my library that I didn’t want, the glue bottles for kids to take home, bundled up markers, crayons, etc. It was a great way to get rid of things. Also, you may want to donate some things to churches for their Sunday School, VBS, or other summer organizations. They can always use things. I do set out my tub for September before I close up my room. I quickly look through it for things I may have wanted to remember to collect over the summer.
I try to re-label/re-number all of my textbooks, as even permanent marker tends to be worn down by little hands throughout the year. I also check my math kits to see which kits need replenishment.
One of the things I think is important at the end of the year is to TOSS! Get rid of the bottles with little dabs of paint or glue in them! Toss all of that scrap paper for cutting practice and the books that have just been loved and read to much! It helps to start the year with clean cupboards and shelves.
I also use the folder system but use a spiral notebook. I write in it all year long and glue and tape in ideas for things to buy or create myself. It is a great tool for starting the new year.
Love Mailbox and all the great ideas!!
I’m new to this website and hope to use it to keep me organized this school year; I’ve already gotten a good tip
What I try to do is keep a list going on my desk of supplies I will need for next year. It is a list of the things I used the most throughout the year. I do the same for my students so I can revamp their school supply list. I also have a basket on my file cabinet. I put any supplies and ideas in it that are for the start of the school year. This makes the transition from summer to the start of school easier:)
When I taught Kindergarten & Second grade I had the class that was moving up leave a note for the incoming student that will be sitting in their chair. Explaining what that grade was like and what they learned in class. They included their favorite things we did during the course of the year.
When school began again in September I placed a goody bag (pencils, erasers ect.) next to the note on their desk. Everyone enjoyed this activity.
I have a folder I keep with items I find to start and end the school year with. I have a packet for parents to fill out to help me get to know their child at the beginning of the year. I teach early childhood special education (3-6 yr old). I send a summer packet home for my students. In the packet, I include a piece of sidewalk chalk, small container of bubbles, a sucker, a band aid, hugs, and kisses. I also send home a book from Scholastic. I have some recipes to make playdo and ideas to do with their child.