The end of the school year can be tough, it can be chaotic, and it can be wonderful. Most likely, it will be a bit of all three. I was given some great advice on surviving the end of year chaos when I started in the classroom, and I’ve also reached out to some of my teacher friends to share their thoughts in this blogpost. I’ve collated all of the pearls of wisdom into what I like to call my Five Tips for End of the School Year Success.

In New Zealand, the end of the school year for primary and intermediate schools is mid-December, so for me, counting down to the end of the year is always exciting because: CHRISTMAS! (You could say I am a wee bit of a fan of the ol’ festive season). But that excitement can begin to wane when it is met with the craziness that can be Term Four. Let me just list a few of the things that are often part of term four “fun”…

End of the Year assessments
Report writing
School Production – I’m just saying, why not do these earlier in the year??
Camp
Athletics Day
Swimming
Final assembly and the practice assemblies leading up to it
Class parties
Staff parties

So yes, the end of the school year can be crazy, BUT, and it is a big but, it can also be amazing. The end of the year is a chance for your class to reflect and celebrate, to share the wins, and to laugh at the funny memories you have created together. Before I get teary-eyed and all emotional, let me get to this list.

1. Make the countdown to the end of the year fun

Sarah from Curiosity and the Hungry Mind says: Keep things fun. At the end of the day, we are working with children. If we are tired and stressed, imagine how they are feeling?

Once the end of year assessments and reports are out of the way, the opportunity exists to bring some extra end of the year fun into your class. Here are a few ideas that spring to mind:

A classroom Masterchef competition
Making movie trailers using iMovie (on iPads or
Holding a class Secret Santa activity (this could be done with home-made/craft or purchased gifts)
Running a lip sync competition – while not everyone can sing, everyone can lip sync!
Organising and running a sports day for a younger class in the school
- Split your class into groups and get them to design a game or activity that they could lead – it could be as simple as getting kids to try to throw mini bean bags through a hoop.
Rachel from Minds in Bloom has a great list of activities to do at the end of the year.

Please remember, I would sprinkle these fun activities within a normal, structured classroom program. If you ditch your guided reading, daily writing and maths programs completely, expect your class to bring on the crazy. This brings me to my next tip…

2. Don’t “End the Year” Too Soon

Ask any experienced teacher for a tip on how to navigate the end of the year and they will tell you, “Keep Routines in Place!”

Lori from Kinder Lake says: “Stay in your routine as long as possible but keep it fun and light. For example, If it’s your literacy block keep it simple with a story and a craft, keeping it at the same time you’ve used all year.”

If kids catch wind that you are winding down, their behaviour and attitude will wind down too, and that is the last thing you need. Even though your assessments are finished and reports are written, the last few weeks of school can still contain a lot of useful learning. I recommend keeping your routines and program in place as much as possible. It also keeps students focused and settled until that final bell because really, that final bell IS the end of the year!

Christy from Exceptional Thinkers agrees, “Sprinkle in some breaks and fun activities but don’t throw your routine out the window. Make sure your instruction time is still valuable and relevant, even if things are a little looser towards the end.”

Another quick tip, keeping routines in place extends to your classroom walls too. At the end of one year when I knew I was moving classrooms I began taking down displays in preparation for the shift. I kept all of my usual routines the same, but that visible change signalled to the students that the end of the year was near. Boy, what a disaster. They went crazy! Never again. Keep things up, add new end of the year activities to the classroom walls or bulletin board, and keep the students thinking that it is business as usual.

3. Practice Self Care

In those last few weeks of the year, stress levels are likely to be elevated. You may even be feeling anxious about future employment and your body is probably running on adrenalin. Its time like this that self-care is so crucial. It can be easy to overlook self-care, I get it. It seems antithetical (fancy word, I know!) to slow down and stop when you feel like you are chasing your tail, but if you don’t look out for number one, then you are going to quickly get wiped out.

My recommendation is to timetable some self-care into your end of year calendar right now! Get our your diary and book a coffee date, a haircut, a movie night – whatever chills you out and makes you feel good. You deserve it. End of discussion.

4. Celebrate and Reflect

The end of the year is a great time to celebrate with your class. I am all for finding any opportunity to celebrate! It can be really fun to put together a slideshow of photos you have taken during the year. Kids love reminiscing and comparing their beginning and end of the year hairstyle and who has had a growth spurt. My tip for you is build up this slide show throughout the year. When you take a bunch of photos during camp or cross country, choose a few to add to the slideshow. This saves you from having to hunt out all the photos at the end of the year.

Another great end of the year activity (that begins at the start of the year) is to have students write a letter to themselves during their first week at school. I also get them to write down their height (measurement practice!) and include a photo – seeing how kids can grow and change within one year is fascinating! During the last week of school, take out those letters and give them to the students to read. The times I have done this with my class have been truly special moments.

As well as celebrating, the end of the year is a great time to reflect. Remember back to your first few weeks with your class, when you were struggling to remember names and working out who could sit beside each other without talking! Look and where you are now. Sometimes in the busy-ness of the end of the year chaos, we can forget to stop and take stock of just how far we have come as teachers. I guarantee there are areas within your teaching practice where you have improved this year. Reflecting on, and celebrating, those improvements may just help you to power on when your energy levels are starting to peter out.

Christine from For The Love of Teachers has some great ideas for celebrating the end of the year with your class.

5. Be Prepared

One major way to ease the end of the year stress is to be prepared. We have a range of end of the year activities that are fun and help you celebrate a fantastic year. Click on the links below to find out more.

Celebrate a fantastic school year and help your students to remember it forever with this engaging and meaningful end-of-year collaborative activity. Students create a collaborative jigsaw puzzle that serves as a visual reminder of a great year, while also reinforcing the ideas of teamwork and classroom unity. Display the amazing puzzle and wow your school! Click here to see more.

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Go paperless with our End of the Year digital activities for Google Classroom. Celebrate a fantastic school year and help your students to remember it forever with this engaging and meaningful end-of-year digital memory book and time capsule. The completed slides are sure to become a treasured memento for years to come. See more here.

Celebrate a fantastic school year and help your students to remember it forever with this engaging and meaningful End of the Year Puzzle poster! The completed puzzle is sure to become a treasured memento for years to come. Engage your students’ artistic flair with the wide range of activities provided in this resource. Display the amazing puzzles and wow your school! Click here to see more.

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Celebrate a fantastic school year and help your students to remember it forever with this engaging and meaningful End of the Year Comic Book! Designed in an engaging comic book style, your students will love both highlighting their achievements, and looking to the future. Click here to see more.