It is my belief that every day you have students in your classroom is a day to educate. That includes the very last days of school. As much as I yearned for the opportunity to slack off a little, maybe show a film adaptation of a novel we had read, I rarely gave my students a day away from learning. And yet, I never encountered students reluctant to enter my classroom in the final weeks of school. We had already spent 160-plus days in a classroom where inquiry was rewarded and where it was clear that setting young people on the path of lifelong learning was the ultimate goal.
That said, creating lessons for the last few weeks of school that continued to engage students bent on celebrating the joys of summer was no easy task. A teacher really has to bring his or her A-game. Over at themailbox.com, we have plenty of engaging and creative lessons, ideas, and resources you can use and adapt for your classrooms as the final days of the school year slip from view.
What tips do you have for making the most of the last weeks of school? How do you take what you have learned about your students to form lessons and give assignments that are meaningful and manageable as the welcoming arms of summer beckon?