5 Ways to Create a Strong Finish for the School Year

By
The Middle School Mob

This post originally appeared on the blog The Middle School Mob.

As the school year draws to a close, we’re all looking for fun ways to keep our middle school students engaged and learning – right up to the last day!
 
The Middle School Mob has five activities that are sure to help you make the most of these last weeks… and keep you sane at the same time! 
 
1. Sharon from Classroom in the Middle uses Summer Practice Cards. Summer Practice Task Cards are designed to provide a review of language arts skills for middle school or upper elementary students. The 30 half-page cards include five each on six summer topics: At the Beach, Life on the Pond, Low-Tech Fun, The Ball Game, Picnic Time, and Vacation.  
 
“These are perfect to use as a fun classroom game or activity,” Sharon says. A coloring page cover and a checklist of assignments completed are also included so that the cards can be sent home for a summer practice booklet.
The Middle School Mob has activities to help you make the most of these last weeks of school (and keep you sane!).

2. Shana from Hello, Teacher Lady believes that no school year is complete without a little reflection! This End-of-Year Student Reflection & Feedback Google Form encourages students to reflect on their year while providing teachers with valuable student feedback and insight. The responses are automatically stored in a Google Sheet for easy viewing from any device, so no need to worry about collecting paper or wondering where you’re going to store all those paper stacks.

Shana says, “I love using this digital form with my students not only because of its ease and convenience, but also because the thoughtful responses have helped me reflect on my year and improve my own teaching for the following year.” (Psst – you can download the form for free from Shana’s Teachers Pay Teachers store!)

The Middle School Mob has activities to help you make the most of these last weeks of school (and keep you sane!).

3. Lisa from Mrs. Spangler in the Middle shares her top 3 ways to finish the year strong! This includes an inspirational video, a positive reinforcement system that culminates on the last day of school, and even a daily motivator for those tough classes.

The Middle School Mob has activities to help you make the most of these last weeks of school (and keep you sane!).

4. Lyndsey of Lit with Lyns recommends this Digital End of Year Student Reflection as a great way for students to reflect on their year. It also asks them to provide feedback on what they thought worked well and what they would like to change in specific classes.

“Not only did this help my students to reflect,” Lyndsey says. “It also allowed me to do the same. After reading their suggestions, I was able to implement some of their ideas into different activities and strategies I used the following year. This resource is truly a WIN-WIN for both students AND teachers!!!” It comes in both digital AND printable format!

The Middle School Mob has activities to help you make the most of these last weeks of school (and keep you sane!).

5. Marypat from Just Add Students recommends that your students create a Reading Legacy Project. This is a fun way for  learners to reflect on all the great reading they’ve done this year. Students create a resource for next year’s class that includes book reviews, scrapbook pages, “best of…” awards, and signature pages for notes of encouragement to the upcoming class. Marypat says, “This makes a great reference tool for next year when students ask, ‘What should I read?'”

The Middle School Mob has activities to help you make the most of these last weeks of school (and keep you sane!).

Give one of these ideas a try and let us know what you think… or offer an idea of your own that makes the end of the school year a breeze!

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The Middle School Mob has activities to help you make the most of these last weeks of school (and keep you sane!).The Middle School Mob is a cooperative group of middle school teachers who are excited to show others how amazing middle school is! We post our ideas on our blog where our tag line is “Coming together to collaborate and dominate!”  Join us as we share our ideas, tips, and insights into the mysterious world that is middle school!

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