Categories: End of YearGeneral Teacher Tips

End of Year Teacher Checklist: 3 Weeks to Go!

This is the second in a blog post mini-series. In this post, we will discuss end-of-the-year countdown teacher tasks with 3 weeks to go.

It’s the end of the school year, and teachers everywhere are feeling the pressure. You are tending to your end of year teacher checklist, but it seems to be growing rather than shrinking. The answer? A solid plan where you map out your end-of-year teacher tasks a month before school ends. Read here for your plan with 3 weeks left of school.

End of Year Teacher Checklist Task #1: Re-Assess Your Calendar

In the first blog post of this series, we discussed the importance of keeping a calendar just for the end of the year. It was recommended to make it editable, because we all know how much changes on a day-to day basis, especially during this time of year. In case you missed it, you can read it here: Blog post 1

Now is the time to take a look and see what else you can add, change any events, and add tasks. I keep my end of year calendar open (I use the digital version) and check in on it each day. This way, I can keep on top of my end of year teacher checklist. It feels good to cross off tasks as they are done!

Task #2: Start Your Report Card Comments

If your report card requires comments, you likely have a digital version that has a “menu” of comments from which to select. And I know one thing for sure: By this time of year, you know your kids and, for the most part, you know which comments you will be assigning. So why not start now?

For me, it’s totally manageable to put in comments while kids are working on something independently. I’ll do one class each period. This way, as they are working and I’m noticing a missing assignment, I can easily call them over to show them.

I also make it more streamlined by selecting a few comments to choose from so I’m not all over the place. For example, if we wrote a narrative in language arts, my comments might center around using text evidence in their writing. Our report card comments allow for “improvement needed in supporting arguments in writing” and “successfully supports arguments in writing”. Then I might use a behavior comment, such as “uses class time wisely” or “improvement needed in using class time wisely”. This way, I am better able to focus on what was most important this past marking period.

I will tell you, it feels amazing to check this off of your end of year teacher checklist a bit early! Because it’s a non-negotiable, don’t wait on it as just knowing you have to do it will clog up your brain and sap your energy.

Task #3: Plan End-of-Year Celebrations

You will most likely have some sort of end-of-year celebration. Whether it’s a class party or an end-of-unit celebration, such as a poetry reading, you’ll want to start planning now.

The first thing to do is to choose a date and get it on your calendar. You’ll want to clear the date with your administration and possibly other teachers on your grade level. Then, list the tasks on your end of year teacher checklist that you’ll need to do, such as getting information to students, contacting parents, printing items, gathering supplies, etc.

FYI, here are a few things that I have done as end-of-year celebrations that have worked really well:

Pot Luck – create a sign up sheet for each of your classes (or just your homeroom). I fill in the items and keep it manageable, then kids sign up. If I know a student is forgetful (or let’s just say it…flaky), then I’ll send an email home with a reminder. Kids are usually really happy to do this! I sign up for an item as well. Some items to consider: tableclothes (think Dollar Tree), paper goods, bagels, cream cheese, baked goods, etc. I keep mine BYOB to make it easier.

Grade Level Celebration – our PTO used to have class moms (we don’t any more…IDK why). They would organize the food, and we would secure the location and provide some games (like outdoor stuff such as kickballs, jump ropes, basketballs, etc.). Kids really enjoy this time together. Tip: Keep it somewhat brief. An hour is MORE than enough time…after that, they tend to “turn into pumpkins” and might get a bit rowdy.

Poetry Share – I always do my poetry unit at the end of the year. Part of this is to write original poems. Kids choose one to share. I actually create a digital book to share out with parents, staff, and classes. It’s definitely the highlight of my year in language arts. If you’re interested, here is a Poetry Share that is all set up for you. Take a look.

Games – Kids love this at the end of the year. I give out prizes as well. Some ideas: Blooket, Quizlet Live, and my Language Arts Game Show and Social Studies Game Show. It’s great fun!

Movie with Bring Your Own Snack – Kids do enjoy this. I try to make it go along with something we did in class. I also try to keep it to one period, so TV shows work well. For example, we did historical fiction in language arts, so we watched the opening episode of Little House on the Prarie (a personal favorite of mine).

Task #4: Get Your Final Assessments in Order

One of the most important items on your end of year teacher checklist is to get your final assessment in order. Now is the time to start. Hopefully, some of this is done by now, but if not, here is what you’ll want to do:

Decide on what exactly your final assessment will be.
Plan for the time to grade it, especially if it is a writing piece.
Plan for time for kids who are absent on the day you give it.
Create (or review) the actual assessment, updating it for this year.
Announce the assessment date so kids are prepared.
Create a study guide, if applicable.
Print or schedule in your digital learning platform.

Setting aside about 30 minutes to do this will save you a lot of headaches.

Not enough time to read? Try the Podcast!

I recently started a Podcast for middle school language arts teachers. Check it out!

Listen here!

Any questions or comments? I’d love to hear how you tackle your end of year teacher checklist. I can also help if you have specific questions. Drop a comment below!

In the meantime, hang in there. I know it’s hard, but you’ve got this!

-Linda A. “All in One Middle School“