If you're anything like me, you're running on empty by May! This has been one of the most challenging years of my 25+ teaching career and I'm exhausted... but we've still got 7 weeks to go!! Here are some activities to help you make it to summer break.
1. GO OUTSIDE
Take advantage of good weather if you can and allow your students to use the outdoors as writing inspiration for a poem, to practice using figurative language techniques to describe the environment, and simply for a change of scenery. I sometimes use the bleachers at the sports field as my classroom and it works well.
2. END of YEAR ONE-PAGER
Ask students to create a one-pager that represents their school year. This is a great way for students to show their learning and allow them to be creative at the same time! I ask them to include ideas around the following big ideas.
- What did you learn? How did you improve in certain aspects of school?
- What successes did you have at school? With a hobby? A sport?
- What were some challenges?
- What are you looking forward to next school year?
- What were the most significant news stories of the year in your school? Community? World?
- Other ideas?
3. END OF YEAR BUNDLE OF ACTIVITIES
Looking for a print-and-go bundle of activities for the end of the year?! I've got you covered with this set of resources that you get started with tomorrow! It includes 18 different activities - some are quick, and some are more involved, but you can pick and choose the ones that will work best for you and your students! Check it out HERE!
4. FREE END OF YEAR COUNTDOWN / REVIEW ACTIVITY
Grab this FREE print-and-go review activity! It's an easy activity that students can use to review a specific topic or they can use to review their school year - the choice is yours! This could easily be used as a jumping-off point for a longer writing piece. Comes in a print & digital version!
It's the end of the year and I'm exhausted! The students are over it all and it can be a frustrating time of the year for everyone. Here are some quick and easy activities to help your students focus during the last few days of school.
Use idioms related to time or school to inspire a poem! Giving students something creative to do can be a nice diversion from testing or end-of-the-term exams.
Check out some of the resources that the ladies of the Secondary English Coffee Shop use to make it to the end of the year! Collectively we represent over a 150 years of teaching experience!!
The Classroom Sparrow - End of the Year Escape Room
Room 213 - End of the Year Poem
Presto Plans - End of the Year Zombie Escape
Tracee Orman - End of the Year Activities blog post