Tips for Staying Positive at the End of the School Year!

Let’s face it. The end of the school year holds some of the hardest weeks of the entire year! It can be some of the most stressful weeks, too. Whether you’re testing students day in and day out, you’re tackling end-of-year paper work on each and every student, or getting over the recent shock of being reassigned to a new grade level for the next school year – it can be overwhelming!

Trust me - no one needs this blog post more than me! This time of the year is always so hard. Right now I’m spending my days reviewing absolutely everything I’ve ever taught this year and getting ready for THE TEST! You know that test. The one that determines how “effective” I am as a teacher.

With the demands we face as teachers it’s easy to complain, but it’s also exhausting. So, after this past week (yes, it was a crazy one) I decided that I definitely needed some positivity in my life! I’m sure if you’re reading this, and you’re a teacher, you can relate. So with a month of school left (32 to be exact for me) there are things I (we) can do to make life a little easier and help bring about a more positive attitude.

#1 GET ENOUGH SLEEP – yeah, yeah, yeah…I know. What is that? As a teacher with 2 jobs (Yes TpT counts as a second job. If you’re a seller you know what I mean!) I rarely get enough sleep. I stay up late working at night and regret it every morning.  Just remember our emotions are at an all-time high when we are tired, and it’s really easy to overthink things.

#2 SLOW DOWN & BREATHE – the end of the year will come and go just like every other year and I (we) have always survived just fine, test scores and all! Life is hectic; the end of the school year is even more hectic. Take a minute to relax and have some “me time” even if it’s only for 30 minutes.

#3 MAKE A LIST – a TO-DO list, and not just any TO-DO list a RUNNING TO-DO list. What do you need to accomplish before the end of year? Include anything and everything you can think of – even down to the very last day of packing up your room. Now, prioritize that list. What is most important? What needs to be done now? Keep your list handy at all times, add to it as you think of things, and mark each item off as you do it. You’ll feel a sense of pride and accomplishment at the end of the day. (Okay – if you’re not an OCD list person like I am, this may not work for you, but I encourage you to give it a shot!)

So, I’ve spent my weekend sleeping, resting, and making my to-do list. Yes, it’s quite a list to say the least! Yes, it’s overwhelming to look at, but I’ve already crossed a few things off, and tomorrow I’ll cross off more. The end is in sight! 

Teachers often go unrecognized and unappreciated. So, if you’re having a hard day, week (or in my case) a hard year in general it’s important to remember…

What do you do to get through those last few weeks of school each year? I’d love to hear how you manage to stay positive and stress free! 

Comment below and help me add to my tips.

Wanna read more about my crazy end of year chaos? Read my latest blog post here.

Students need encouragement, too! Who wouldn’t get stressed about taking a 3 hour long test for 2-3 days just to prove they’ve mastered every single skill for the year? Check out my student encouragement desk tags and notes from home. My students love these every year, and the notes from home makes the perfect bulletin board display during testing.