You can’t outrun it. You can’t hide from it. You can’t even negotiate with it! So how do you minimize end-of-the-school-year stress? As corny as this may sound, I think the first step is to acknowledge that the end of the school year will arrive whether you’re ready for it or not. Maybe it’s just me, but I tend to freak out more over a date than I do a to-do list!
So what’s next? Well, I guess that’s up to you. If it were me, I’d prioritize my tasks and sequence my deadlines. Then I’d decide which tasks only I can do and which tasks a parent volunteer, an upper-grade student, or even a child from my class can help me with. If my list is still outrageous, I’d get creative! One strategy that worked well for me was to join forces with a colleague. For example, I’d invite her students to play a large-group math game with my students. Then, later in the week (or day!), she’d invite my kiddos into her classroom for another activity. This approach grabbed both of us an extra 30 to 45 minutes of uninterrupted time to tackle our year-end tasks.
How do you keep afloat at the end of the school year? Please share what works for you!
Thinking of you!
Diane
PS I’ve also found that nibbling on chocolate relieves stress, though I have no scientific evidence to support this claim. 🙂
I am a list maker so I usually begin by making a list of all the things I need to complete before the last day of school. Then I try to stay an extra 30 minutes to an hour, a few days a week, to work in my classroom. I use this time to focus only on one task at a time. To keep interruptions to a minimum, I try to keep my classroom door closed. It is surprising how much you can accomplish once you are focused and free from distractions/interruptions.
I make a list of things to do by date. I work everyday on the list. Yes at home and after school. But it is beginning to look like I have things under control. I just hope I have not forgotten anything.
I’m having a real issue with the end of the day and could use some ideas. I have tried many routines for getting the students ready to dismiss (stacking chairs, gathering homework items, picking up trash from floor, lining up, etc.) and nothing seems to work well. The students are too noisy and all seem to need to be in the same places at the same time. I’d love to find a song or chant for them to do as they’re preparing for home. Any ideas or suggestions would be most welcome and would certainly make the end of my school year a more pleasant experience.
I like to remind myself and other teachers just how far we’ve come this year by showing pictures that I took during the beginning of school. It helps to see how big the children have gotten and that maybe I’ve helped them in some small way.
Now, on the days when nothing seems to calm them down, especially on days when I might go home bald from pulling my hair out, we do some of the silliest yoga stretches I can think of. If you emphasise that the breathing is important, almost everyone calms down enough to get through the rest of the day. Towards the end of the day, you may want to even do this as part of your closing circle time.
And one last thing…there is scientific evidence that chocolate releases endorphines and that is all the proof I need to enjoy every morsel without any guilt. (Besides, if I eat it in small portions, the yoga moves burn off the calories!)
Our pricipL gives us a countdown list and I try to go by that. We have to get it initialed by the person in charge of the departments as we go. However, a new wrinkle has been tossed at us this year. The district has added 2 new assessments (math and science)and we have not even received them yet! They also revised our language arts assessment and it is due soon. Again not received yet! Yay!
I just do a little at a time. I have all my lists and prioritized deadlines and I just take it as I can get to it. I have an assistant, but with portfolios and assessments, I am the one who has to do it, so I rely on her to keep the kids quiet during working times and read to them or do a quiet carpet game while I continue to work on folders or call students over to assess.
I also let my kids help out in the classroom closing. (The last 2 days are optional days anyway, so I make it clear that if they choose to come to school , they will be working and cleaning.:) )
I have also found that not planning too much can be a help. If I have something in my plans, I feel like I HAVE to do it. So for these last few weeks, I have not planned very much, so that I don’t feel the pressure to “get it done.” It relaxes me a little and therefore the kids are more at ease. (If I’m stressed, their behavior takes a downward spiral, I’ve noticed.)
If someone has ideas about the end of the day, I would love to hear it also! My kids (especially lately) tend to get a little out of control during packing up and putting up the chairs time. (I call only 2 at a time to pack up, but the noise level gets out of control. Short of threatening to “change their card” — behavior colors on a chart that goes home each night– I don’t know what to do.)
I also make lists. I will only have a 15 day break when school ends and ESY begins (so I have already begun planning for summer session while trying to close this year). I too hope I can cross off everything on my list!