Finishing Strong
Finish strong became the theme for the New Orleans Saints during the season of 2009, thanks to Drew Brees. That was the season the SAINTS won the Super Bowl! As the end of another school year inches closer, I find myself reflecting on those words—finish strong. What does that look like, sound like, and feel like?
THE PAST VS. THE PRESENT
I can remember two distinct feelings as the last month or few weeks of school arrived. “Back in the day,” there were feelings of remorse that first grade was about to end and there was so much more I wanted to teach my students! Back then, we had more flexibility with the curriculum. I loved adding life skills with social-emotional competencies to our day! Units of study that lasted weeks encompassed themes such as Ecology or Leadership. Those were two of my favorites as many important and thoughtful social issues and points were addressed. The end of the year was joyful and certainly less stressful. It was a time to celebrate the growth and successes of each student. The days were less hectic and childhood was embraced. As with so many things in education, that time changed. The curriculum took on a different look and approach. It was strictly mandated. Curriculum maps were created. We had more units and chapters and benchmarks to assess. Our day-to-day academic plans were clearly spelled out and left little (if any time) for anything else. Once May rolled around, I found myself under the gun—the pressure was on. The last month was filled with final reviews, final assessments, and final documentation of everything. That last month was stressful and exhausting. I felt it left very little time for me to do what I really wanted and needed to do with my hard-working students. That was to CELEBRATE their growth and learning!
Somehow, the life of a teacher and ultimately the life of our children drastically changed. As I think back to when the only thing upsetting me about the end of school was – “I wasn’t ready to see my children go—I had more I wanted to do with them.” To now, fast-forward to present day, “OH MY GOODNESS! The pressure and stress is ON”—unfortunately not just for me, but for my students as well! In these last few weeks, as summer break approaches, as tired and restless as the children are at this point of the school year, teaching and learning and assessing doesn’t let up. That’s the reality of today’s education. Knowing all of this, now what?
FINDING JOY IN THE REMAINING WEEKS OF SCHOOL
Teachers, I know this time of the year is a whirlwind of demands from administration, committees, grade-level teams, etc. and you have numerous “end-of-the-year” checklists to complete! In spite of ALL of this; you must try to find some time to help your students bring closure to their year of learning!
Here are a few suggestions that hopefully can help bring a joyful end to the school year for your students and yourself.
–Find time to read to your students everyday—maybe it is the last 10 minutes before dismissal or the first 5 minutes after lunch. Pick a funny book, a chapter book, an old favorite… Let this be a special time just between you and your students!
–Play a game, do an energizer, sing a song, recite a chant/poem/ rap on a daily basis!
–Begin a reflection process with your students. **Look back on any old Morning Meeting Messages and revisit memories of days gone by!
Have your students reflect on such things as: (written or oral)
*What was the best part of ___ grade?
*What was the hardest part of ___ grade?
*What areas have I improved in? What helped me to improve?
*What do I still need to work on?
*How was I a good friend to my classmates this year?
*What was something someone did for me that helped me learn and grow?
*What was my favorite subject? Favorite book? Favorite fieldtrip? Favorite recess game? Favorite enrichment or special area? And tell WHY?
*What am I MOST proud of this year? What goals did I reach?
IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE TIME WITH OUR STUDENTS AND HAVE THEM REFLECT ON THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GROWTH.
We want our students to walk out of school on the last day thinking, “WOW, look at me! I learned so much! I struggled through some things but I persevered! I worked hard and it has paid off! I CAN DO more than I thought I could!”
(***While we are on the subject of reflecting–teachers should take the time to reflect on their growth and progress as well. What were your successes? What were your challenges?)
HELPING STUDENTS NAVIGATE THE UNKNOWN
Often, we can get caught up in those “end of the year” things that require a lot of our attention. We may fail to notice what is happening to our students, until there is an increase in misbehavior.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED…
Once springtime rolls around, the children in your class may start fussing with one another, aggravating each other, tears fall and complaints are heard in loud angry voices. These sweet children you once had are acting more like siblings it may seem. If you think about it, that’s because they have been together in your classroom family for most of the school year. They are familiar and comfortable with each other and like siblings, they can get on each other’s nerves! A teacher can take some time and address the issue. Conducting a class discussion about what is happening and helping students problem-solve on how they can work together to become more thoughtful of feelings and more considerate of other’s needs, may be a starting point.
Another issue that pops up often at the end of the year is their fear of the unknown. Children may worry about what will next year bring. Who will be their teacher? Will she be nice? Who will be in their class next year? What if their best friend is not in their class? What will homework be like? What fun things will we do? What does the playground look like?
If teachers can bring their class to visit a teacher from the next grade, students will be given an insight into what’s instore. They can see and hear about the really cool things awaiting them. This might be exactly what is needed to calm fears and uncertainty. As the year starts to wind down, hook up with a colleague and set a date for a visit!
A final word on alleviating children’s worries about the future: Some students in your class may be worried about the summer. (I know that might sound crazy!) For some kids, the summer is a hard time. Little or no supervision, lack of food, or an unstable home life can lead to stress and anxiety in students. Could this be the possible reason we have some children “acting out” at this time of the year? They have figured out that you will not be there for them. They will not have the structure, routine, and safety of school. They will not have that hot lunch – which may have been their only decent meal each day. What can we do as teachers? Look into any summer programs being offered, any food services being provided, etc. Offer this information to the parents or guardian. You can still continue your rapport with the student by writing a few letters over the summer—just staying in touch can mean so much.
FINISHING STRONG
Finish strong—those are some powerful words! I have to admit though, there were a few years that I worried I would not make it to the finish line. Those were the years I had some very challenging students. Those students could drain every ounce of my being! At least, that was how it felt. I would have laughed at anyone telling me to “finish the year strong!” I was barely hanging on and just hoping for the last day of school to come. In spite of my feelings, I knew I had the responsibility to all of my students to work as hard as I possibly could. I needed to bring a sense of peaceful closure to our year together. If there are any teachers out there reading this who are struggling to get through the last month or last few weeks, take those deep breaths, look for the good in EVERY child, and find something that will bring joy to yourself and to your students.
That is what will help you to FINISH STRONG!
Wishing everyone a wonderful closure to your school year! Enjoy the summer vacation with family and friends. Do things that will feed your soul and bring you joy!