The countdown begins towards the end of the year and many things go through the mind of a teacher when trying to process it all.  On one hand I am super excited to relax and be off and enjoy the beautiful weather.  I get to travel during the weeks that my family has the time and I’m truly thankful for a plethora of online opportunities that are available for teachers to make money on the side during the summer.  I know and understand that daydreaming about my time off during the last couple of days of school is not a good thing but I still enjoy my students without letting them take over the classroom and get out of control.  Some of the things I am more lenient on are; yes, we may have longer reading and math groups.  I often extended the students recess time and last we do walking field trips to exploring signs of spring.  Things are fluid towards the end of the year and honestly, I don’t feel like packing up my classroom.

I don't feel Like Packing

I am not a procrastinator but it is nice outside and I don’t feel like packing everything up, labeling it, and finding a place to store it… I’m glad that many schools that I have worked for had storage bins therefore I wasn’t taking adding posters, crayons, and teacher materials to my garage at home.   I would have my husband and family help but that leads to craziness, missing materials, and folded poster charts that are thrown under some books.  This year I’m going to be organized and have my students move the classroom materials to our teacher storage bin outside as a walking field-trip but not now, maybe tomorrow.

I should Have been Mindful

As I count down the last days of school, I think of everything I could have done.  I wish I would have been mindful after every lesson.  In a perfect world, after every lesson, I would sit quietly and write down all of the things that I could have changed to make the lesson better.  I would fix the idea in my lesson plan and add materials to the folder that should be a resource.  This is a great idea but It never took off, I end up teaching the lessons year after year wishing I would have scrapped the lesson the year before last.  I end up teaching the lesson with resentment knowing I should have made changes when I had the chance.  I'll do better next year!

It didn't get it done

The last days of schools are also a great time to write thank you letters to everyone that had an impact in the classroom with your students.  This is such a wonderful thought but every year, it stays as a thought.   I’m so excited that my community connections enjoy our student’s presence from year to year, because I always forget to call them or write a thank you note to say how much they are valued.  This is also a time to write notes to your individual students thanking them for the wonderful year you've had together.  This too never gets done, I give them hugs and send them on their way to their families and wish them a good summer.

Stay Calm, be Practical and Enjoy the Last Days

I say all this because, I work hard during the year and sometimes I do not have the time to be proactive in packing up my classroom, in being mindful about each lesson taught, or giving thank you letters to your community stakeholders.  This doesn’t make you a bad teacher, or a less caring individual, it makes you human.  I try to give 110% every day and provide value and care to everyone I come in to contact with and I hope they know that I value each and every person I come into contact with... I am truly grateful I am to know all them and I hope they know and understand that.  So teachers, here is a toast to the last days of school!   Stay calm, be practical and enjoy the last days of school!