We’re heading into the final weeks of school in the United States, with some teachers having just another week or so left, and others (like us in New York) with another 5 or 6 weeks to go.

But I think it’s safe to say ALL of us are mentally prepping–if not yet physically prepping–for the end-of-school-year classroom closeout process.

There’s a LOT for teachers to do this time of year…and not necessarily a lot for students to do. That’s a problem.

Kids know right away when we’ve given them busy work, and they can sense when we’re distracted with our own stuff and not really paying attention to what they’re doing.

And, if they know the grade book has already been closed out for the year and none of the assignments are going to “count,” it can be nearly impossible to get them to focus.

​My K-12 emergency sub plans are great if you need to call out sick, but they’re also fantastic when you’re NOT absent during the last few weeks of school.

You can also use these if your school is short on substitutes and you’re covering for your colleague’s classes: the activities can be printed (or completed online at the secondary level) for students to work on independently.

The full set of sub plans includes enough for 10 entire days of school, and you can get one day’s sub plans for FREE. Just find the link for your grade level, then click the PREVIEW link to download sub preparation tips + a full day of sub plans:

Your students can work on these activities while you prepare for classroom closeout tasks.

Those closeout tasks may include completing end of year paperwork, returning materials, organizing/decluttering, etc. You can begin this process 2-4 weeks before the end of the school year, depending on how much you have to do and how much you like to work ahead.

I have an article + podcast episode and FREE downloadable guide to help you plan how to pace yourself with closeout tasks during the final weeks of school so you don’t get overwhelmed:

The system I recommend is to keep your room looking exactly the same for as long as possible so regular routines stay in place, and on the second-to-last day of school, turn your full attention to overseeing classroom deconstruction.

Yep — you can deconstruct your room in a single day!

A lot of teachers like to start taking things off the walls and storing materials away much earlier. It makes a big difference visually and creates the illusion that you’re making tons of progress. But starting too early can throw off all of your students’ daily routines, and ramp up kids’ excitement levels and behavioral issues.

Of course, if you need to pack up everything in your room, you need to start earlier. And, if you aren’t legally allowed to have kids help clean and organize (which is ridiculous, IMO–it’s their classroom, and they have ownership and responsibility, too!) students may not be able to participate as much.

But regardless of your individual situation, there are some specific tips and procedures that can help you manage not only room deconstruction, but allllll the paperwork and other classroom closeout tasks that have to be done:

You’re almost at the finish line, my friend. You’ve got this!

Angela

Angela Watson Stay connected on social media: ​​​​​​

P.O. Box 175, Bushkill, PA 18324
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