Getting ready for the end of the school year should be all fun and games, right? Who doesn’t want to go on summer break?
But teachers can’t just let things go. We need to make sure we have covered all we needed to cover and even squeeze in a review if possible.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or like you didn’t know where to start with prepping for the end of the school year, today’s interview is for you.
I’ve interviewed Mme Lauren, the teacher-author behind Parfaitement Bilingue and she’s sharing about the right mindset and strategies to make the months leading up to year end a breeze!
This is a post in a series of interviews, where I’m chatting with amazing educators so we can learn their tips and strategies to make our own lessons even more enticing, effective, and fun!
How to get ready for the end of the school year
Lucy: Hi Lauren, I’m so happy to be interviewing you because I know you’ll be sharing your amazing knowledge and expertise with us today.
The end of the school year is coming up fast. That’s both great because, well, “Hello summer!”, but also a bit of anxiety-inducing. Some teachers feel like they still need to cover so much but there might not be enough time.
So here’s my first question: how do you decide what to still teach and what to let go of?
Lauren Monique: Thank you so much for having me Lucy!
Yes, the end of the year can bring on so many mixed feelings for teachers! We’re excited for summer break, but we’re also concerned about getting our students through the rest of the year… and we’re thinking of how much we’ll miss them next year too!
If you’re feeling like you have a lot to cover and you don’t have time for it all, here’s what I would suggest:
Think about what matters most for you and for your students, and make choices from there.
For example, maybe you teach grade 6 and you’re not sure what to teach in Français langue. Sometimes that can be a hard one to know because it’s vague! I would think about what matters most for me as a teacher and what matters most for your students’ learning and needs.
You might realize that you’re feeling done in because it’s the end of the year… and you also know that they are really struggling with their paragraph writing structure, you have a novel study unit you’re not sure you’ll have time to finish, and your kids still seem unable to grasp what a verb is.
If I were in this situation, my own well being would be most important (so I can show up as the teacher they need me to be) and paragraph writing.
Paragraph writing is important in more than just French class. This is a skill they’ll need to write longer assignments and essays as they get older in a number of subjects! I would focus on paragraph writing and let go of other things I may have planned that would take a lot of energy from me (like creating that novel study from scratch for example) so that I’m aligning my teaching with my priorities: my own health and their biggest learning needs.
I would let go of extra volunteering that might be taking from me and add in things that make me feel joyful so I can show up for my students the best I can until the end of the year.
L: How do you organize yourself for the end of the school year? Are there any procedures you follow?
LM: Doing a little bit now can make such a big difference later!
Here are 4 steps I would consider to help you get organized at the end of the year:
- Think about what matters most to you. Is it making things easier for you next September? Is it giving yourself more rest because you’re feeling burned out at the end of the school year? Maybe it’s getting your report cards done? Make your decisions based on what matters most to you first.
- Based on your answer to number 1, decide what needs to be done to achieve that. If it’s your report cards, your action step would be to get those done!
- Schedule in that priority. If it’s report cards, schedule time in your calendar when you know you’ll complete them. If it’s rest, schedule that in first!
- When other things inevitably come up, remember your priority and stick to it. Let go of the things that aren’t supporting what matters most to you.
L: Backtracking a bit: what grade(s) have you taught? Any favourite grade?
LM: I’ve taught in preschool all the way up to grade 11… But my favourite grades are definitely grades 7-10!
L: I didn’t know you’d taught preschool. How fun! But I totally see you more as a grades 7-10 teacher.
Now, how do you get into the right mindset to fight overwhelm as a teacher? Any tips or strategies?
The overwhelm and “survival mode” feelings are real! If you feel like that, know that you are not alone. So many teachers feel that way, but we often don’t want to share with our colleagues for fear of looking like we don’t have it all together.
My two suggestions would be to…
- Accept your feelings and know you are not alone. We all feel this way sometimes and it does not make you a bad teacher.
- Consider your work style. Are you arriving to school and simply reacting to everything school throws at you? If that’s you, see if you could take just 10 minutes to think about your upcoming day and choose what you might do now to feel more ahead. Setting a bit of time aside to be intentional can save you so much time and stress later.
L: Are there any DOs or DON’Ts that come to mind as far as getting you and your classroom ready for the end of the school year?
LM: I’ve got one DO and one DON’T.
DO:
Consider your needs and values and act upon them! Just because someone else perfectly organizes and labels each box in their classroom for next year, doesn’t mean you have to.
DON’T:
Leave everything to the end. Think of simple things you could do now that could help your future self, such as having an emergency sub plan in place, or marking something quickly, rather than letting it sit for weeks and wondering what you had even chosen as criteria when you later go to mark it!
L: Anything else you want to say about this topic?
LM: I’m cheering you on! If you took the time to read this article, you’re clearly a dedicated teacher and your students are SO LUCKY to have you.
L: You’re absolutely right. I love your message. Thank you for your time and for sharing your strategies with us!
If you’d like to learn more about Lauren Monique and what she shares about teaching French, mindset, and self-care as a teacher, check out her site Parfaitement Bilingue and her TpT store. Also, make sure to stop by her Instagram account and let her know you’ve read and enjoyed this interview.
Thank you for reading!
Merci!
Lucy
Read: Free Online Resources for French Teachers
Read: Simple French Writing Activity
