[sunnie]

I still have 3 months left of school, but I need to start preparing myself and my students for the end of the year. I have had most of my students for 3 years and now they will be moving on. I know I am going to have a difficult time with this, but any suggestions on how to prepare my students? Also, does anyone have any great activities/projects/gift ideas? I would like to make some sort of yearbook on my own, but that's all I can think of at this point. I also need some ideas for good read alouds too. Any help would be appreciated. I know its pathetic, but I am already sad and weepy when I think about the end of the year. Thankfully my students haven't noticed, but I have already been crying to my colleagues and a couple of parents when they discuss it with me!

[Georgia Girl]

Hey! Hope some of these work for you:

1) Have the students write one good thing about all the others and type a list for each student. I'm sure you've heard that story before.

2) Make class T-shirts with the handprints of all students (teacher too if you like). We have a first grade teacher who does this every year.

3) There's a post on here somewhere that talks about making a DVD for the class. If you can find that, you might get some good ideas there.

4) You could make some kind of picture frame and put a class picture in it. If there was a mat, everyone could sign it too.

5) I still have a glass my 4th grade teacher gave us at the end of the year. It was a clear, tall glass and she painted a small picture, our name and the year on it.

Enjoy the rest of your year!
GG

[fun_friend]

I am guessing that you have not been teaching for very long. the ebb and flow of the students kind of appeals to me. Now is the time to try out stuff you have read about in magazines but didn't have time for. Maybe you can teach/preview the curriculum for the next grade--particularly science and social studies. We do that in the middle grades. I recommend The Tale of Desperaux if you need a great readaloud!

[sunnie]

Thank you for the suggestions. I like the idea about making a tshirt and typing a list of all the wonderful comments about each other. I guess I am just looking for meaningful projects that they will treasure. I will search for the DVD activity too!

Perhaps when we are done with all of our state testing, I will have time for more fun learning activities. Maybe previewing next year's curriculum will make thinks easier for them too. Then they will see what they have to look forward to.

I have actually been teaching for over 10 years and I love looping, but this is the first time I have had the same class for 3 years. Many of them are already anxious about the end of the year and not being in the same class with the same teacher next year. I just wanted some ideas on how to prepare them and reduce their anxiety level.