TL;DR:

• The end of the year is one of the toughest time of year for educators.
• To finish your year strong, don’t throw in the towel too early.
• Make sure students know the plans, build in rewards, and don’t compare yourself to others.
• Be mindful about counting down to summer break as this is not an exciting time for all students.
• Set yourself up for success in August and prioritize your health.

9 Ways to Finish Your Year Strong

Teaching is hard work all year long, but the month of May holds unique challenges for teachers. Students are mentally checked-out. Other teachers are playing movies. Warm weather beckons. Technology gets returned. Calendars are full. Despite its challenges, May can be filled with opportunities for deep learning and student creativity. You have spent the year teaching, and now your students are full of knowledge and can dive into the next level of learning.

Take care of yourself and your students with these 9 tips for finishing your year strong.

Don’t throw in the towel too early.

It’s so tempting to quit quality teaching and fill the last month of school with coloring, crafts, and movies. This is a recipe for student misbehaviors, complaints from parents, and missed learning opportunities. Keep students engaged and learning all the way to the very end.

Tell the students the plan.

One thing that really helps keep students engaged is filling students in on the learning plan. For example, you can let your students in on what they will learn each week and any fun projects ahead.

Despite its challenges, May can be filled with opportunities for deep learning and student creativity. You have spent the year teaching, and now your students are full of knowledge and can dive into the next level of learning. Click To Tweet

Build in a class reward day on the last 1-2 days of school. 

Plan something fun for the last day or two of school. You can do this with your own classroom or consider working with other teachers on a team reward day. One really fun idea is to incorporate team challenges into your reward days. Here are some examples: Who can build the fastest LEGO car? Team egg drop challenge! Grow the tallest plant. The possibilities are endless!

Stop comparing yourself.

There will always be a teacher who stops teaching on May 1st. Don’t compare yourself to what everyone else is doing. Instead, do what is best for you and your students.

Quit talking about summer break.

It’s important to remember summer break is not exciting for all students. YOU may be the most stable part of some of your student’s lives. Putting up summer countdowns in your classroom might seem fun, but it sends the message to students that you are ready to be done teaching your students. (And maybe you are, but they don’t need to know that!)

Give students a reason to keep coming to school.

Consider keeping a class plant, starting a garden, or starting a community service project. Come up with something fresh that will keep your students excited about coming to school.

Outline your summer break.

Start thinking about what you want to do this summer. Outline your personal goals, vacation plans, and projects you would like to get done. It’s a great idea to outline these now, so that when summer starts, you can jump right in!

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Set yourself up for an easy August.

Put away the things you will need at the start of the school year in an easy-to-find location. Get rid of things you don’t need, and make sure you leave your classroom clean and organized.

Take care of your health now.

Eat healthy, move your body, and start (or continue) healthy habits now. When you treat your body and mind well in May, it sets you up to enjoy your summer from the very beginning.

These are 9 easy ways to finish your year strong and set yourself up for an awesome summer break! For more ideas, listen to The Teach Lead Coach Podcast and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @tlceducators. Teachers, you got this!

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About Taylor Snowman and Chad Cox

Principal and teacher team, Chad Cox and Taylor Snowman created their business: Teach Lead Coach Coaching, out of their shared love for education.

Chad Cox is a principal with over 20 years of experience in education. He specializes in building positive school culture and helping other administrators reach their next level of leadership.

Taylor Snowman has worked in the field of education for 8 years as a teacher and presenter. She loves helping educators become the best versions of themselves. She specializes in teacher self-care, helping teachers fall in love with their jobs again, and coaching new teachers.

Chad and Taylor have a Podcast called: The Teach Lead Coach Podcast, where they share weekly inspiration and strategies for educators looking to lead happier, healthier, and more balanced lives.