Staying Calm and Positive During the Insanity

The following blog was written by Mrs. Toni Wheeler, a Math Teacher at Carson High School.

The end of the school year. It can be a frustrating and challenging time for teachers.   Teachers have reached the stage of acute  fatigue and students have developed a new perspective of your class that can make class time very difficult. The lunacy of  events that have to be attended, the myraid of work that still needs to be done in the classroom, along with the dispassion of the students could be described as….Insanity.   

But, we are the teachers and we have to show the students how to stay calm, work hard, and be positive during this time. They are watching us and learning life lessons from us as we show them how to handle the stress and excitement of the final days.   Our words and our reactions can affect the success of the final weeks. Yes, even when the student with the severely low average asks if there is some extra credit he may do to pass. Here are some  ideas and thoughts that educators say may be helpful for this exasperating time of the year:

1. Take time to have fun: Talk about summer plans, reflect on fun moments of the year, tell jokes, make memories and laugh with the students.
2. Set small daily goals: Rather than going on and on about all that has to be done, just take it one day at a time.  Get all you can get out of them in one day and regroup the next day.
3. Reconnect with the students: Personally invite students to  come after school for extra help, catch up on conversations and interests of students from earlier in the year, compliment students on how well they are working, ask students how you could help them finish the end of the year strong and  let them know you care and are not just wishing the days away.
4. Lots of positive and lots of praise: Praise students for anything and everything you can come up with.  Be positive about their daily progress and build confidence going into the final exam.  Give rewards (extra credit) for work normally not given to encourage students to keep moving forward.
5. Change up the class routine as much as possible: Review games,  scavenger hunts,  peer tutoring,  group work,  music, or maybe new computer programs for review.

Keep calm and finish strong!!!!!!!

Tweet