Make It Memorable

I’m not going to lie. This was not my year. I was sick too often. My son was sick too often. My co-teacher’s mom passed away. I overextended myself at some points and was bored at others. But, that is the beauty of being a teacher. Despite all of these “ehh” parts of the year, I loved my students and most of them loved me! Middle school is a weird place. When I tell everyone I meet that I teach eighth-grade English language arts, they either applaud me or pity me. What I love about middle school though is that it is full of milestones. First dances in sixth grade. Playing on school sports teams, acting in your first play, singing in your first musical. Having unbearable friend drama, but also loving epic sleepovers. It’s emotional. One thing that educators can do is to be intentional about framing the end of the year for our students. This year, my students did online portfolios instead of a final exam. One thing I am doing is helping them appreciate growth. If this sounds like a good idea, here’s my sample of the common writing assessments. (If you are attending the AFT TEACH conference this summer, I’d love it if you’d join my session on digital portfolios.) No matter what subject or grade you teach, there are ways to make it memorable, and personal reflection is an important aspect of education that often gets overlooked, especially when the temperature is rising and kiddos are antsy. These resources will help you to keep everyone busy, learning, productive and, most important—especially right now—engaged. 

Elementary

My daughter is substitute teaching while home from college, and I loved her observations about subbing in elementary school. She said, “I love it, but there are transitions every 15 minutes, kids are going all over the place for lessons or interventions, and just when it is all working something amazing or comical happens.” As an aside: The lesson plans that elementary teachers have to make, particularly for substitute teachers, are crazy! I don’t know how anyone is ever absent. This bundle of resources will help keep everyone engaged and busy, two very important things as the year winds down. I can honestly say that elementary school endings are epic because teachers always put their heart and soul into making it magical for students and families. While I admire you, I don’t know if I could handle the A to Z end of the year countdown, but if I did, this would be my cheat sheet. 

Middle (and High School too!)

I’ll be honest, the end of the year isn’t for the faint of heart in the middle and high school years. So much emotional growth is happening that there are often roller coaster endings. Some students are teary, some sassy, but they are all a little bit stir crazy by the end. As I said, I do think it is important for educators to frame emotional experiences in a celebratory way. One of my favorite things that a lot of youth groups do is have “paper plate awards.” I haven’t tried this with my classes, partly because it would be really labor intensive for 125 students. However, next year my building is going back to homerooms, and I will definitely do it for a group of 25. Another way to celebrate is with a digital slideshow. Start early and collect pictures right from the get-go. It’s amazing how quickly kids can change, and with all of the easy slideshow/movie-making apps out there, it is pretty easy to do. This is a great bundle to help structure the emotional roller coaster through end of year reflections. 

My Own Reflections

If you are like me, as the end year winds down, I start to think about what I need to do differently next year. What worked? What didn’t? What took longer than expected? What was a surprise success? For example, This Phishing Scam Activity was by far my students’ favorite from my digital citizenship unit, so I will definitely use it again. This was my first time using it, and we were shocked by how much the students enjoyed it and how engaged they were. I always think of the “me” who will be coming back to school at the end of August, and I try to remember what I’ll need to know and remember. This is a quick read about my “Dear Future Me.” 

For Fans of PD

My district’s year begins July 1 in terms of professional development, which means summer is a great time to earn those credits. Watching a webinar (sitting by a pool with a beverage in hand) is a bit more palatable than doing PD after a long day of school in the dead of winter. These webinars will help you finish the school year strong and get ready for next year. There are a wide variety of webinars, and allowing you to have meaningful learning experiences instead of some random PD happening in your school’s auditorium or cafeteria! 

If, like me, your new year is in the fall, not Jan. 1, I’m guessing that you can relate to this blog. Whether you are helping your students wrap up the end of an era, or you know you need to make some changes, I hope you will find ways to make the new year memorable.