School is almost over! Perhaps someone has posted a countdown in the staff room. Maybe you’ve pulled out your favorite work-appropriate summer dresses!
Good vibes all around!
But before you send off your kiddies and pull out the pool floaties, there are some things I recommend you do.
Not only will this help you start to summer on the right foot, but it will help your future self be better prepared for school in the Fall. Just think of the dread you will feel going back to school, knowing the mess (both literal and figurative) that you left back in that building.
No Bueno!
Here are three ways you can get your space (and mind) ready to enjoy those amazing, relaxing, Margherita-filled summer days!
Download my free “Roadmap to Curriculum Mapping Success!” to help navigate the curriculum planning process. Get it here!
1. School is almost over-File and chuck!
Spend some time clearing out these loose papers so you have a clean and clear cabinet or workspace.
You know how Michael Scott has a “special filing cabinet” for messages Pam receives from corporate. AKA the trash can? Well here’s a big secret! Teachers have this cabinet too. Except, instead of messages from corporate, it’s for old assignments.
If you’re like me, your file cabinet has piles of papers that you don’t recall your students completing. Let’s be honest, you’re never going to grade those worksheets your students completed over a month ago! It’s time to recycle them.
Work that you or your students are proud of should be given back to students to take home before they leave for the summer.
2. School is almost over- Feel the urge to purge!
Now that you’ve cleared your students’ work. It’s time to spend some time on your own resources.
Chances are, you have hoarded resources, games, and activities that you told yourself you were “definitely going to use this year” even though you didn’t know when or how. I’ve lost count of how many Target resources I purchased because I said “I’ll find a way to use them” and never did.
It’s time to purge! If you open your cabinet and you see resources you did not touch this year, pitch it!
Set up a table outside your classroom with all of thee resources and allow your teacher friends to take their pick of the litter.
Only keep resources you know you are going to use next year. Some questions I like to ask myself are:
Choosing proper resources to use is part of the curriculum mapping process. Click here to download my free “Roadmap to Curriculum Mapping Success”.
Some items I make to keep are:
- Rainy day games (unless the games are completely destroyed, have missing pieces, etc..)
- Rewards (stickers, prizes, etc…)
- Spare school supplies (binders, folders, etc…)
3. School is almost over- Reflect and Reject
One of my favorite things to do as the year draws to an end is spending some time reflecting on the year. In particular, I reflect on my teaching units. What went well, what I need to change, what resources I would replace.
I do not do this in one shot. Instead, I spend one week at a time looking over one specific unit.
When I’m looking over a unit, I look over the following….
- The Juice of the unit (The topic, essential questions, and the goal of the unit) Click here to read my blog post where I explain what I call the juice.
- If the standards were met
- Whether the assessments matched the standards
- If I used a variety of assessments types
- Did my instruction help students learn and meet the standards?
- Which resources worked and/or didn’t work?
I spend some time leaving notes, with recommendations for changes.
That way, next year, I will already know what to keep and what to change.
Click here to download my free Roadmap to curriculum mapping success.
Also, take some time to think about your favorite parts of the year. What did you do really well this year? Do not diminish the fact that you just accomplished something!
Not many people can do what you do. You deserve applause!
Final Thoughts…
I am so excited for you to enjoy your summer and all its spoils! I personally love this time of decluttering and reflecting!
What’s a moment, activity, lesson, or unit you are really proud of this year?
Comment below!
