Ending of the Year Itchies-Keepin' 'Em Motivated
Easter's come and gone. The sun is out. Most of the snow is either gone or is just about gone. Already, strategic planning is going on for next year. And, if your students are like mine, once that Easter Bunny's gone, they've more or less figured the year is over. How do you keep them going for another 7-9 weeks? More to the fact, how do you keep a tight rein on them discipline-wise? Here are some tips and hints to survive the final onslaught.
First of all, remember the old adage "don't smile until Thanksgiving"? Sometimes, it seems that Thanksgiving pops up again after Easter. Don't let your discipline guard down for an second during "normal" school days. (I'll explain what I mean there in a minute). And, if you've been lax all through the year, sorry...can't turn back the clock. If you start cracking down all of a sudden, it will confuse some kids and make the others mad or uncertain because they've come to expect certain behavior from you. Do the best you can and vow to do better next year. (Been there, done that, don't want to do it again!) You don't actually need a whip, however. Pull out kids who are a huge distraction or pose possible injury danger (like in motion games or dancing), take away recesses, or whatever your discipline plan is. Please make sure, though, that they get a warning before you lower the boom. And what I meant by "normal days"? This time of year is chock-full of field trips, special assemblies, transitional times, and chopped up days. For instance, on the Thursday before Easter at one of my schools, we had Grandparents' Day in the morning, then were just left hanging for the afternoon. The combination of having their grandparents and it being April Fools' Day was just a little too much for their brains (and mine) to bear. So for the three classes I had after the grandparents left, we had our own April Fool's Day! After a minimum of required stuff (for the sixth grade,who is getting ready for a program), we did dumb dances like the Duck Dance, a broom limbo, and the Bunny Hop. The kids had a blast, and I did, too. Plus, it sure relieved the tension of the Grandparents' Day program we had in the gym earlier. So, be flexible. Don't plan on introducing anything really hot and heavy, and PLEASE check out your schedule before doing any assessing! Most of us don't get the kids every day (or even 3 times a week), so plan the end carefully.
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