Summer break will be here before we know it, and for many teachers across the country, that means working hard in those last few weeks to finish up lesson plans, get final grades turned in, and get the classroom tidied up. One aspect of the impending summer vacation that you don’t want to neglect, however, is that of adequately preparing your students for the months to come. With the right preparation, you can make sure your students end the school year on a positive note and come back ready to learn in August.
Keep Students in a Routine
Many teachers struggle with keeping their students engaged and focused during the last few weeks of school; during this time, students often get antsy to be on summer break and may have a hard time concentrating in the classroom. Teachers can combat this by keeping their students in a strict routine right up until the last day of school. Also, be sure to have a talk with the class about the importance of finishing the year on a strong note, especially in terms of grades and report cards.
Send Ideas Home to Parents
In a perfect world, every student would spend his or her summer vacation learning and preparing for the following school year. In reality, however, this isn’t usually the case. Many parents don’t know what steps they can take to keep their children’s minds sharp and keep them learning over the summer, so why not send home a list of ideas? You might include the names of some local museums, zoos, and other educational destinations. You may even include some information about a library’s summer reading program or any other ideas you may have for parents.
Recommend Books to Students
One of the best ways to keep students’ minds sharp over summer break is to have them read. Consider holding a classroom activity where you work one-on-one with each student to help recommend a book or list of books that are related to each student’s interests. From there, help them find the book(s) at the school library or direct them to a local public library where they can check them out over the summer.
Don’t Forget About Housekeeping Tasks
Finally, make sure that you have students gradually start bringing supplies and other items home towards the end of the school year so they’re not stuck trying to take everything home on the last day. As you finish up with final assignments and tests, have students turn in their textbooks to you so you can store them over the summer.
By following these tips, you can have your students and your classroom ready for a summer of fun and learning in no time. For more resources and supplies for next school year, check out School Specialty today.
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