Some practical considerations at year's end

Hello, everyone,

There are some practical things to consider as the year winds down.

Many of you (especially in the middle schools) will find yourselves teaching for some time after grades are submitted and your text books have been returned.

If you're normal, this may irritate you a little. Don't let it. It's a typical part of the process of closing the school year.

If you know that you'll be without textbooks for a time, plan accordingly. Reserve materials that you can use without the textbook; give assignments that won't require it. Know the day that the textbooks are due, and assume that you won't have much instructional time on that day. Have activities planned that will be engaging and fill time in as interesting a way as you can manage while being productive. (That would be a good day to play a review game, for example.)

After you return the textbooks, you must still teach; just do it with other materials.

Late in the semester, there are days when the grades have been submitted and the year is not over (this happens more in the middle school than the high school). Of course, you won't want to broadcast to your students that the final grades are submitted. At the same time, you will have given summative assessments, and they will not be ready for anything new unless it's VERY interesting or fun. Once again, this is a good time for academic games, enrichment activities, field trips (next year--they must be planned a year in advance), and similar activities.

Your principals would like me to say that parties and non-curricular films are not appropriate.

If you're at the high school, you have finals that you must prepare your students for, so when the textbooks go, be ready to prepare them for the finals from other materials. Once again, it does no one any good for you to rage about it. Plan for it and be prepared. (It's wise to plan for the new year the same way.)

By the way, students love to help put things away. Let them help you with the work of shutting down your classroom. Just keep them in manageable groups.

Another note: Don't let unknown students "kick back" in your classroom without a pass from their regular teacher. Wandering packs of students will occasionally ask for this privilege. Just tell them, if you want to welcome them, that they must have a signed pass from the regular teacher, and that they must remain in your room for the rest of the period. (If you accept them, you're legally liable for them.)

Best of luck at the year winds down.

Jeff Combe