May 19

It is that time of year when I am closing out a school year and planning for the next school year. This is a busy time in our household since my husband is a teacher as well. We BOTH are super BUSY!! I just keep telling him - I will see him in June :) Tonight is our school dance and our parents have done an AMAZING job transforming our MPR room into a beach. The kids are going to have so much fun tonight. If you are around tonight you should stop by. I love this event every year!! 

Some ideas on getting feedback from your students. Have them answer the following questions:

1. My favorite activity this year and why:

2. I had the most fun when:

3. The hardest part was:

4. What I liked best about my class and teacher:

5. What I’ll miss the most and why:

6. I made the most growth in this area: 

7. Advice to students for next year: 

So before your count-down is up, take a moment to consider these ways to finish the school year with a smile.

1.    Divide, destroy and donate

The end of the year is the best time to clean for the summer. So divide your classroom into sections and choose a different section to clean every day, that way the task doesn’t feel so overwhelming. In those sections, make a choice of what needs to be destroyed (papers with names and personal information, tests, etc.) and what could potentially be donated to a student, another teacher, or another school. (Did you really use that stack of Anne of Green Gables books this year? No. You didn’t.) This also is a great time to decide if there is anything to give to a student—perhaps a book inscribed by you, or a project that was never returned. You’ll feel great leaving your classroom ready for next year.

2.    Host your own Paper Plate Awards

The end of the year is a great time to give out class awards. But rather than paying a premium for cheesy certificates you find at the big box stores, simply pick up a pack of paper plates and pass them out—one for each student in your class. Assign each student a classmate, ensuring that each student gets an award, and let them go to town with crayons and markers. The honors will be more creative and hilarious than you could have ever come up with on your own: ”Most likely to succeed,” “Best in Fractions,” “Gold Medal in lending out paper”—the possibilities are endless. And it’s a great time to reminisce about the year gone by.

3.    Get outside and make it count

Students of all ages love to team up against the teachers. So whether you organize a student vs. teachers kickball, frisbee, or basketball game—make it count. Let one student and one teacher MC the event, and make sure the teachers dress up to add a little fun to the game (matching sweatbands seem to do the trick). It’s sure to be an event everyone will remember.

4.    Send home a thank you note to parents

Teachers have a tough job, that’s for sure. But parents have a lot on their shoulders too. And while teachers deserve lots of thank-yous all year round, this is a great time of year to return the favor to the parents who’ve helped your students with homework all year long. Hand-written notes go a long way to smooth over any rough edges created during the year. But if you have more than 20 students, don’t be afraid to write one letter to families, thanking them for their support.

5.    Deliver simple gifts to your teammates

As any teacher knows, this job would be much more difficult without the teammates on your hall. Whether it’s the teacher who always took that trouble kid under his wing, or the one who never fails to bring baked goods to the team meeting—the end of the year is a great time to thank your colleagues for making the job that much better. Some ideas? Flowers, a potted plant, or even a bag of their favorite coffee or tea can go a long way.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Christina, Sarah, and Patty for a wonderful Parent Tea. You did a great job of creating a beautiful event for our parents!!

Play: Come to the dance tonight and get your groove on!

Choose your attitude: 

To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional. Ask yourself throughout the day, "What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Mr. Luna' class visited SCC today.Way to get our students on college campuses!!