Light at the end of the tunnel

Most public schools must be in the final marking period. How do you survive when students are ready for vacation? Or when you are ready for vacation...?

Come up with some fresh ideas!

One thing that I usually do every spring is reorganize my classroom. Sometimes I do this part of this during the school day, so that students are involved in any decision-making. I sometimes set up the desks differently, or maybe just putting up a new bulletin board. This gives a fresh atmosphere to the room, and to the minds of those who are in it.

Another thing that I try to do is have a class discussion about where we're at and what we need to do. I try to be upfront and tell them "As of today we have 40 days of school left. In Science we still are going to cover 4 chapters." I've found that heart-to-heart talks about many topics throughout the year enhance the connection you have with your students. Keep in mind I'm working with 11-12 year olds. That may not work quite as smoothly with a 5 year old.

One final thing that I'll mention today that I try to do during the last two months of school is recapping. I review all that I've done for the year in certain subject areas. With the new expectations and "No child left behind," educators need to follow the curriculum.

To close, I offer you this great link of lesson plans for educators ---> Lesson Plans for Teachers

I would appreciate any comments from the readers, teachers or not.

Tachizuno