The end is finally here. All the hard work has hopefully paid off and you are happy with your growth as a professional teacher and as a student. Have you been counting down the days? Did you ever think this day would come? Do you find yourself counting down in your regular classroom?
The end of the school year always seems to be so far away as you approach your room late in August. When the end finally does arrive, you wonder where all the time has gone and start to reminisce about the good old days with your current class. Vicki Blackwell has a personal webpage with tons of activities to celebrate the end of the school year. She also has activities to make the last days more meaningful. I especially enjoyed the tip of making t-shirts with your class. I currently make t-shirts the last week of school with my students and I love seeing them the following years.
But as the year winds down you find yourself on the celebrated last day of school. What do you do with those final hours? Beth Lewis offers many neat ideas that can be modified for any grade level to take up those final hours of school. Writing a letter to next year’s students, making a memory book, have a spelling bee, focus on next year and my favorite, clean, clean, clean are just a few she offers.
As those students walk out your door, you only can hope everything you have worked so hard to teach them will stay in their little minds. You pray they will at least pick up a book or two over summer vacation or try and practice a little math. Sometimes parents don’t realize how much their child can regress over the summer and then start the next year far behind. As students start school again in the fall, they have lost one to three months of learning. Brain Drain can happen and probably will, happen to all our students. Some tips you can offer parents are: keep math in mind, keep lots of books around and encourage reading, consider summer school and look into educational programs or camps.
When it quiets down and you begin to reflect upon your year and your empty classroom, many thoughts may rush to your mind. You may be so satisfied with how the year turned out and cry tears of happiness. You may be so happy the year is over and rejoicing you will start all over with a new class next year. You may be waiting for the end of contract time to meet up with friends to have a few celebration drinks.
But then… you may think, Why am I doing this? You may feel you have no desire to return next year. Many teachers get the blues and some never return to teaching again. If you do ever run into this situation, just remember why you became a teacher in the first place and use several motivational techniques. Also find comfort in other teachers and get support. But most important always remember… You Are Fantastic!
Good Luck in your many years to come! Jenna
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The last day of the year. Boy, are people aleady thinking about that? I am not in school this year, but I suppose if I were, I might be looking ahead to that point as well. In the music field, the upcoming spring is my busiest season so I would be fastening my seatbelt for the wild ride. I think in the last several years, I have eagerly awaited the end of the year. I have not enjoyed my teaching/job as much as I had hoped, so I look forward to summer break - a lot! I love summer activites so that probably helps too. I also have small children so I look forward to being home with them. All these things add up to me hoping for the year to end. But once it does, I do find myself planning for next year. So I must not be as unhappy as I think at the time. I appreciated the motivation link. I can always use a bit of that! Thanks
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Haraseth
I start to look forward to summer break those first days of spring weather. Here in the Northeast the kids and staff are ready for warmer weather and time outside. As a math teacher it was always frustrating to have to spend the first month of school reviewing what the students had already been taught. I've wondered about having a split summer break to avoid the "Brain Drain." I think a 3 week summer session would promote retention and give us more of that beautiful fall weather to enjoy. It would be a hard sell but I'd be curious to see the effects on learning.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to digest that Christmas is right around the corner. Time does go by way too fast when you start looking at the big picture...and then there's days where time stands still. Every year a teacher takes the good with the bad and then moves on to the next. Past students come back to visit and new students look to you for guidance. Teaching is anything but dull...everyday is different...good and bad. I, personally, could not see myself being anything but a teacher. Some days I'm ready to retire (at the age of 35) and other days I can't wait to get to my classroom in the mornings. You get out of it what you put into it.
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed at the people who start counting the number of days until summer, beginning the first day of school. Over the last few years, I have had several students take numerous classes from me. By having students in five or six different classes, you get to know the students much better than if you have them one semester, or even one full year. I really enjoy the students I have several times. Not only do I get to know them better, but it is easier to show them how different facets of business work together. The hardest part of getting to know these students is that sooner or later they will graduate. It is very hard to say goodbye to someone who has been in your class at least once a day for three years. However, you can feel good about the knowledge you have provided those students through the years.
ReplyDeleteWe all go through some difficult times as a teacher. Whether it is the winter blues when it seems like spring will never come or dealing with those problem students. Whenever I find myself down and questioning why I continue teaching, I ask myself why I became a teacher. It is then that I find myself dwelling on the positive relationships I build with students. It is easy for me to overcome the frustrations of a few bad students when I think about all the positives of the committed students. I fully agree with the statement, "You get out of it what you put into it."
I do find myself counting down the hours until a break, especially when my 9-week period will end and I will get new kids in January. It is hard to keep everything running smoothly, especially when the kids know they are getting out as well. I tend to draw projects out and make them last until the last day or two to eliminate too much down time and non-learning time. People think more school will help our situation in education, but I think less works. Think of this: How at the college level can we attend a class for 3 hrs once a week for 18 weeks (less with holidays and cancellations) and receive full credit and get through everything? Yet in public education, students must go 180 days to earn 1 credit for a class, or be promoted. How does that work?
ReplyDeleteIt is pleasing to know half the year is gone, but there is still more. What is even more demeaning is trying to finish your last semester of grad school all the while. :)