The Last Days

We have three weeks left. Now is the time for students to start relaxing and getting a little "mouthy" with their comments. A few start talking back and making inappropriate comments at the wrong times. Some students can handle the change that comes with summer break and some cannot. Some students do not know what is on the horizon. No structure, no rules, no opportunities. They need to know the teacher understands and will always like them.
I have a few suggestions to make it through these last few weeks.
• Relax.
• Take a breath.
• Don't take it personally.
• Let the students know they still know what is right and they can hold on to the end. Encourage.
• Don't give up on the rules. Give a few more breaks and reminders, though.
Keep the schedule going. If things change too much and there is too much free time, there will be trouble. We always add in a movie making activity for students to crest movies of what they have learned through the year. Each group, one subject or topic.
• Love the students. Don't let their words and actions during the last couple weeks change how you feel about the child themselves. They are still children, learning as they go, testing their boundaries, trying to make it through life. As we are.
Change is in the air and students feel it. They will be heading home without the same schedule and, sometimes, without friends they are used to being with everyday. The weather is changing and they want to be outside playing in the sun. They need to know they are still loved during these times of change. These might be hard weeks, but we can give students the best send off so they will remember the good times, not he bad couple weeks at the end.

Learning Never Ends

It is the end of the year. We have three weeks left and our end of year testing is complete. I want the students to understand that learning never stops. We have more math, language, science, social studies, and other subjects to teach. After the big test, there is still more to learn. I find that if I stop teaching after we have taken the test, it sets a bad example for the students. It teaches them that there is a point where the learning does stop. It doesn't. I shouldn't. That is the lesson I hope to instill in my students. Keep learning.