It’s no secret that the end of the school year is a busy time for teachers. Maybe even moreso now that we’re in this time of “distance learning.” There are grades to import, forms that administration wants filled out, more zoom meetings than you ever would have imagined, and activity budgets to balance. At the top of this everlasting list is the need to wrap up the school year with the students who have made your classroom their temporary home. Despite the fact that many of us will not be ending the school year face-to-face with these students, the need to find closure on the school year is still there.
Students need closure with their classmates as they part ways for the summer without getting their last day of school Instagram photo. Your pupils need closure from you as their teacher too. After playing this steady role in their life for months and possibly being the only consistent thing they had to focus on during a global pandemic, they have come to rely on you. Seniors still want to hear your parting words of wisdom for them to take with them as they start their next adventure. Underclassmen want to know that you hope they’ll succeed in their future classes and possibly even end up in your classroom again the next year. And you, fellow teacher, need closure with your classes as you part ways from these individuals who you worked so hard to make special relationships with. You need to know their true thoughts and be able to say your proper goodbye’s.
How is this done in a time of distance learning, though? You can’t have a class discussion or plan another perfect escape room activity to get everyone working together. To fill in the blanks of how to wrap of the school year in a digital time, I’ve gathered 4 end of year activities to share with you that will be perfect to use for high school distance learning. (Spoiler Alert: These activities can also be used in a regular classroom setting in the future!)
End the school year focusing on the cool, happy things that happened in the world during the 2019-2020 school year - coronavirus excluded! I created an activity with 10 trivia questions for students to find the answers to. Using a fun trivia activity like this is perfect for getting classes to begin getting in the end of year mindset. The way I set my trivia activity up, students can find answers using a simple google search. In my TpT store I also included a teacher instruction file and an answer key for the trivia.
Using a choice board is a great way to be able to give students options and meet their interests digitally. The choice board I created has 6 different activity options for students to pick from. Options for them to pick from to complete range from reflecting on the past school year in a unique way to preparing for their future plans via resume planning or summer goals. Personally, I had my classes pick 3 activities to complete. In my TpT store, the download comes in a PDF and PNG format for you to upload to your classroom with a teacher instruction file giving more specifics on how to use the activity.
Personally, I believe getting student feedback about my class and having them reflect on their year is a MUST. High school is a time of constant growth and change for teenagers. They’re figuring out who they are and who they want to be. Reflecting on the year is a great time to have them look at their choices and prepare to set new goals. The reflection activity I’ve created allows your class to do just that. It starts by giving teachers the opportunity to write the class a personal note. Then students answer their questions where they can even insert photos to really personalize their file. When you download this from my TpT store, you’ll also get blank slides to make your own questions with, and a teacher instruction file stating how I use this activity.
Maybe we can’t write nice things around somebody as they stand at the whiteboard, but we can still practice lifting each other up and setting that good example for students. I created this positive classmates notes activity to do just that and end the year on a “positive note!” After having spent the year together in your classroom, students should have gotten to know their peers. This activity gives them the opportunity to write short positive notes to a few of their peers. When you download this from my TpT store, you’ll just need to import your students names on the slides. After that you can either let students pick classmates to leave a note for, or you can randomly assign each student two classmates to write to. This is an amazing way to keep spirits high and let everyone know how much they matter.
Overall, whatever you do to bring closure to your classroom (digitally or in person), will be appreciated by your students. Though it may not be in person, they’re still looking to you for advice and how to act and feel in an uncertain time. These 4 distance learning end of year activity ideas can help you continue to set the positive tone for your classes over their summer break, keep your relationships strong with your students, and help you get the information you need to make your class even better next year. I hope they work great for you.
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