At this time of year, there’s little doubt that your hive is humming with activity! As you make a beeline for the end of the school year, consider these timesaving tips!
√ Make a quick list of year-end tasks that students (and volunteers) can help with. When an offer to help is extended, you’ll be ready!
√ During the last week of school, ask each child to collect from around the classroom all items labeled with her name. Kids will love the keepsakes, and you’ll make progress cleaning the room!
√ To avoid overflowing bags and backpacks on the final day of school, make daily “take-this-home-today” assignments.
What tips do you have for minimizing end-of-the-year chaos? Please share!
Happily,
Diane
I start having the children wash the toys in the sensory table about a week before school ends. They wash them in soap and water, rinse and lay them out to dry. After the children leave we spray them with bleach water. The next day the toys are dry and we place them in a covered clean bin clearly marked.
We then pack them away for September. Easy way to make sure your room is clean and ready for fall.
While my students have been told that school is almost over (it is mentioned over the intercom on the daily announcements), I don’t push the issue. I haven’t done any packing in my classroom. Packing up tends to throw off the flow of things. Students still need a routine. They need that “safe” feeling. Many of my students don’t have a routine at home, and school is the only place that they know exactly what will happen on a daily basis. I want my students to know that school is a safe place, a place that they know what to expect.
Teachers have a work day on Saturday, June 1, so I will do my packing then. 😉
Put all items that you want students to take home that they can keep in your treasure box. Let them play games and win the items.