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Packing up your classroom at the end of the year can be a daunting task. Teachers are tired and end of year classroom organization has probably long since gone by the wayside. Over the years I've learned how to make packing up a lot less stressful, and with a little planning, save a lot of time and headache when setting up the next year. These 10 tips for packing up your classroom will make setting up next year a snap!

Now, I'm just going to warn you that these pictures aren't exactly pretty. There is nothing at all visually stunning about packing up your classroom. In fact, it usually looks like a tornado came through for most of the time. And while I love all of the possibility a new year brings, I'm usually more than a little sad to break down the space where I've taught, encouraged, and nurtured my class for a whole entire year. It breaks my heart a little to go from this,

to this, in a matter of hours.

That feeling is fairly fleeting though, when I remember that I can soon sleep later, relax, and recharge all summer. Try these tips when you pack up this year so you can relax knowing that set up next year will be a lot easier.

1. Pack Up Your Classroom In Zones

To keep your classroom organization from going out the window while you're packing, place large storage tubs in all 4 corners of your classroom. I use additional tubs for my reading table area and another in front for my desk area. Be sure to label the tubs so you know what's inside.

2. Clean As You Go

Whether packing it in a bin or in a cupboard, wipe down everything before putting it away. That way it's ready to use or put out during set up and you're not spending time cleaning the small things when you report back. You'll have summer dust on the big things and enough to do already.

3. Pack As Much As You Can Intact

When packing up my classroom, I keep as much as possible completely intact. In other words, pack the pencil cans full of sharpened pencils (I have students sharpen them.), stacking trays with papers we use daily or weekly, baskets of supplies, etc. all into the tubs clean and as is. That way all you have to do is place them where they go when you set up next year. It takes a few extra tubs to do this, but it's worth it.

I stack all of my book bins and baskets then place them inside bookshelves.

4. Organize Ahead of Time

Try to come in for a day over Spring Break to organize a few things so you don't have to do it at the end. During Spring Break I organize centers and put away piles. I might clean out my desk drawers and recycle extra copies. The last 9 weeks fly by and with all of your other end of year duties, you don't want to have to organize your filing cabinet and centers on top of everything else.

5. Get Ahead On Your Copies

Around the middle of May, it's smart to have parent volunteers start making copies for the coming year. The line for the copier gets crazy once you report back so I like to get what I can copied ahead of time.

I copy any dailies and weeklies for the year before I leave for the summer. Things like spelling lists, weekly fluency passages for homework, poetry center poems, journal labels, and blank fluency and data graphs.

Our students have behavior charts in their homework folders so I fill in the new dates on those and copy them as well.

We write weekly Friday letters to parents so a year's worth of stationary for those gets copied, too. All of this gets stored in the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet to make it easy to pull as I plan each week.

6. Pull and Prep Your Meet the Teacher Files

Pull what you'll need to manage Back to School Night when students come in to meet their teacher. Of course I don't set it up, but I locate what I use and put it in a bin that goes last into the cupboard when I pack. I also pull parent forms and procedure signs for Meet the Teacher Night. I copy all of my forms, welcome letter, supply list and student info sheets before I leave for the summer. The supply list can change each year depending on donations I may have received or the rare, but occasional, leftover supplies from the previous year.

Making our daily schedule with specials, and a few other things, I save for after I report back. Make it your goal to get the bulk of it is done before you leave for the summer.

By doing so, all I have to do is pull out my parent procedure signs, lay out the copies and some baskets to collect them, and boom. Done.

7. Pull What You Need For the First Week of School

Every teacher has favorite back to school activities, books, and getting to know you games they like to do at the beginning of the year. I pull everything I use the first week of school and place it in my "Week 1" tub. The tub gets packed last in the cupboard so it's right up front.

In order to avoid the crazy copy line once everyone starts planning, I copy what I need for the first week of school ahead of time. Add these to the other items you copy before you leave for the summer. You can always add to it with any new ideas you come up with over the summer.

8. Take Pictures

Taking pictures of each wall of your classroom is a real time-saver. I've wasted a lot of time in the past trying to remember how I got everything on my math wall to fit or where exactly I started the number line or alphabet line so it would fit in the space I had. It's especially helpful if your school requires you to take down every last thing off of the walls. I also HIGHLY recommend getting a picture of your center rotations board so you don't have to reinvent that next year.

9. Bag Bulletin Board Parts Together

As you pack up your classroom and take down bulletin boards, use gallon zip lock bags to store all of the pieces together. If you're lucky enough to be able to leave up your bulletin boards, hurray! That gives you time to organize somewhere else.

Packing bulletin boards together has saved me a lot of time, especially since all the border trim is already cut to size. That, along with the pictures taken before packing, makes putting it all up next year a breeze! I wrote a post with some great tips for putting up back to school bulletin boards, so be sure to check that out too!

10. What You Need First, Goes In Last

I carefully lay all of my classroom decor, wall charts and other items that hang on my whiteboard, on top in the tub for that zone.

In the bottom of the tubs are the stacking trays, pencils and baskets of community supplies that belong in that area. That way I can pull decorations out first and get them hung quickly. Supply baskets are already intact so they go inside a double desk to serve as drawers.

It's a good idea to pack your cupboards that way too. Important papers, first week copies, bulletin board trim, and anything else you'll need right away, gets packed in last so it can come out first.

Resist the urge to cram! Oh, we've all been there. That point at which you are so tired and overwhelmed you start shoving things into any place they'll fit. I promise you'll thank yourself next year.

10. Small Things Students Can Do

Many principals don't allow teachers to enlist their students to help pack up the classroom. There are, however, some little things that students can do to take care of community items and get them ready for next year's class to use.

I have my students each clean their own whiteboards and wipe out the inside of their desks with Lysol wipes. They also take turns sharpening new pencils and labeling folders.

(By subscribing to our newsletter, you'll receive this student data folder kit FREE!)

It's easy to prep class sets of data and homework folders by passing out new folders to each student. I ask them to glue a label to the front of each folder. (Stock up on folders during the summer back to school sales.) All of this takes less than 5 minutes and saves me a lot of time. I also have my students each write a note to next year's class and place it inside the folders. Those are always a lot of fun to read!

Does all of this sound like a lot? Download this FREE end of the year checklist to help you get started.

Need more end of the year help?

I hope you've found some helpful ideas for organizing and packing up your classroom to make setting up next year a snap! If you like these ideas, why not pin them for next year and share with your teacher friends?

Happy packing, friends, and enjoy your summer!

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10 Tips for Packing Your Classroom That Make Set Up A Snap! - Around the Kampfire

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Packing up your classroom at the end of the year can be a daunting task. Teachers are tired and end of year classroom organization has probably long since gone by the wayside. Over the years I've learned how to make packing up a lot less stressful, and with a little planning, save a lot of time and headache when setting up the next year.

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minute to win it games for last week of school

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minute to win it games for last week of school

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Enjoy:)

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the perfect veggie garden!

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Discover recipes, home ideas, style inspiration and other ideas to try.

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Take time to love yourself

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Find Puppies for Sale, Dogs for Sale, Dogs for adoption, Dog Breeders and Dog Rescue Organizations

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Directory of dog breeders with puppies for sale and dogs for adoption. Find the right breed, and the perfect puppy at PuppyFinder.com - The Puppy Search Engine!

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Enjoy the time thatś left. Savor the good.

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Walk, read,  pick your favorite moments...

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Walk, read,  pick your favorite moments...

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Here's some ideas for throwing your own BBQ!

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As the summer begins to really heat up, many of you may be thinking of heating up the barbecue too. After all, what's more fun than gathering friends and family for a sunny, backyard picnic or a garden party under the stars? I know I love it.

But I've always found that a little bit of planning can take a perfectly nice meal outside to the next level and make it a truly memorable event. Have you got a theme in mind? What kind of lighting are you thinking of? And most importantly, what can you serve that will really wow your guests?

Here are just a few fun ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Take a look, try some of them out and before you know it, your little barbecue can be transformed into a party to remember.

Cheers!

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As the summer begins to really heat up, many of you may be thinking of heating up the barbecue too. After all, what's more fun than gathering friends and family for a sunny, backyard picnic or a garden party under the stars? I know I love it.

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1. Watching non-readers becoming readers.

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If you have been an educator for a while you understand that there are many ups and downs in the work we do. Some days you feel like a rock star and, others, a failure. Some days you go home energized from making a difference and, others, you go home exhausted, feeling like you fell short. It is the nature of the business; when you do important work-work that really matters-it can be an emotional roller coaster.

Self awareness of these ebbs and flows is the first step in avoiding burnout, or worse, making a mistake that will damage your relationship with a student or colleague. I realized many years ago as a first year principal that one of the most challenging times for educators is from late winter to early spring. I am not sure why this is. It could be the winter having taken its toll; it could be the pressures of the pending assessments (3-8 tests, AP exams, Regents etc..). Or, it could also be the realization that time is running out for our opportunity to help our students get where they need to be.

If you are not cognizant of this potential pitfall it can become like a dark cloud over a classroom, school, or district. Mistakes can be made that have the potential to undo all of the good work you have done throughout the year. The results of this challenging time in our school year often means more discipline incidents, more tears, less patience with people, and a desire to just put your head down and get to June. The problem is we still have so much more time to influence our kids, still so much time to learn and hone our craft, and so much more time enjoy the great job that we are lucky enough to have.

This year I have had one of the most rewarding years of my career. I am lucky enough to work with a boss who I respect and admire, who not only teaches and mentors me, but believes enough in me to allow me to pursue some of my crazy ideas. I work with administrators, teachers, and CSEA staff who I learn from each and everyday, true professionals that want what's best for kids. And, I have made time in my work this year to spend more and more time with those who matter most...the students. I feel our amazing District getting better and better everyday.

So yes, I am lucky; I work in a truly special place. I look forward to going to work everyday, yet I still can sense the ebb we have been facing the last few weeks. Stress levels have increased, people have been on my nerves and me on theirs. The longggggggggg winter and lack of a spring break, I am certain, have not helped. Just when I started to feel a bit down, a bit dejected, I remembered that this too shall pass. In fact, it has started to lift a bit with our recent spring-like weather in New York. I realized and reminded my co-workers that by the middle of the month, with great weather, long nights, and summer just around the corner, we will all forget the challenging month and look back at what a great year we had and how much we were able to help the kids who need us so much.

I have like to think I have grown as a leader of the years. I have thankfully added some tools to my tool box that have helped me in my pursuit to improve, that have allowed me to not only survive during this challenging time of year, but to actually thrive. These strategies can be helpful anytime you are feeling down or just need to get your mojo back.

The first step is to recognize that you may have gotten a bit off track, a bit negative, or simply let a little self doubt enter your mind.

Self Care On The Job

Being an educator is a tough job. If you are passionate about the work you do, it is a mental and physical marathon. It is important to take some time during your work day for yourself. It is not selfish; in fact it's selfish not to. You cannot give your students everything they need if you are not at your best. Some simple things you can do that do not take a lot of time are:

- Shut your door, set the timer on your phone for one minute, and do nothing. Take A Minute Just sit in silence, clear your mind, and just be. If you're into mindfulness or are considering dipping your toe into that water, check out the Zen Teacher by Dan Tricarico , a great resource with simple strategies.

Reconnect

One of the best parts of any job is the people you work with and the relationships you develop. Take some time to be a good friend, and to reconnect with the people you work with. Some ways to reconnect with colleagues are:

Have Lunch Togethe r- You can go out, bring in, or even just chat if you are on a crazy diet that most of us try at some point, but be inclusive, be friendly, and be positive.

Start A Walking Club - Pick a time to get outside and walk with your co-workers. It can be before school, after school, or during lunch, but taking the time to walk with others is not only healthy, it fosters great professional and personal conversations building upon the relationships you already have with others.

Take The Time - Ask about families, remember birthdays, celebrate special occasions. Families, friends, and milestones are important. Take the time to recognize it and embrace it.

Be A Bucket Filler- We work hard to teach our students to be nice to one another. We explain that when we do something kind for others we not only make them feel good, but we also feel good. Take the time to do something nice for those you work with for those same reasons.

Send a nice email or leave a note that gives a compliment

Surprise your team with coffee or snacks one day

Anonymously leave candy with a nice note in everyone's mailbox

Have a pizza delivered to the office or custodial staff

Make a donation to your school

Go visit someone in their classroom just to say hi

Smile at someone

Show Empathy For Your Students- We all get frustrated with students sometimes, especially this time of year. It may be because we know they can do better, they spoke back to us, they disconnected, they didn't do their work, or, maybe, they were downright rude. It is important to understand that, just like us, our students have "stuff" to deal with and because they are just kids they may not have the skills to deal with their "stuff" as well as we do.

Try to realize what it is they are dealing with and understand that it, most often, is not about us and it's not personal. Consider an exercise that teacher Kyle Schwartz turned into a book and more importantly a educational epiphany. Asking that simple question can really open our eyes to what our students may be facing. This time of year, after building trust and rapport with them, they will be more inclined to open up to us. We may not be able to solve all of their problems, but we sure can try, and sometimes just being empathetic is enough to help. Take some time to speak to your students one on one, to ask no school related questions, to help them, not just as a student, but as person. Helping our students and having empathy is a good way to remind us how important the work we do actually is.

Change It Up

Try different strategies, different topics, different structures. It is often scary, at first, to abandon what we know works, to do something out of our comfort zone, especially if you are or work in a school that is obsessed with test scores. I understand the pressures of getting the kids ready for the Regents, the AP, finals, or whatever you are preparing them for. That being said, I truly believe our students perform better when we take a risk, try something new, let them explore encourage innovation. It not only helps us, but it can recharge educators to devise or execute a new and progressive approach. I have seen some great teachers try some of the following ideas to switch it up:

Take Care Of Yourself Outside Of School

As educators, by rule we are usually givers, but, again, it is essential to take care of ourselves outside of school. Consider forming new habits or doing things you always want to do, but sometimes forget to do such as:

Reignite

It is important to continue to grow as an educator, to never rest on our laurels. The very best educators or open to trying something new, to honing their craft. They know doing different doesn't mean they have been doing wrong all along, but rather constantly evolving and improving.

Learning something new or hearing a new voice can not only help us grow, but can also help us get our mojo back. Try reading professionally for 15 minutes a day ( George Curous , Katie Martin , and are three great blogs to start with), listen to a podcast on the way to work, go see another teacher you respect teach. It can be invigorating when we learn something new or try a different approach.

I have seen some already incredible teachers go to conferences and come back on a high, ready to do even better work than they are already doing. This type of positive energy that not only helps those who attended and their students, but can also be infectious and spread excitement throughout a building. Make a commitment to growing professionally, even if it is only a few minutes a day.

If you are feeling a little tired, frustrated, annoyed or down this time of year, know that it is normal. You should also know that it will pass. In a few short weeks you will be able to reflect on a great year, on all you have done to help students, and realize summer vacation is right around the corner. This little bump in the road will be long forgotten, yet if you need to get your mojo back now or anytime during your year, try some of the suggested strategies. I am sure you can find one or two that are right for you.

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An Educator's Guide To Getting Your Mojo Back

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If you have been an educator for a while you understand that there are many ups and downs in the work we do. Some days you feel like a rock star and, others, a failure. Some days you go home energi...

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1. Keep on teaching as usual.
2. Look for something positive and use your Gratitude Journal!
3. Look at student growth and CELEBRATE!
4. Stay or get organized.
5. Reflect!

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Resources >> Browse Articles >> Class Management

Julia G. Thompson

As the end of the school year approaches, students of all ages and ability levels become increasingly restless and distracted. Even the most studious scholars seem to lose interest in material that fascinated them just a few weeks ago. The result can be enormous frustration for the teachers of these fidgety and disengaged students.

Veteran teachers know about this unfortunate phenomenon and take measures to combat its negative effects. If you have noticed a recent change in your students and find yourself checking a calendar to count off just how many school days you have left until summer vacation, the list below just may help you resolve to end the school year with the best and most professional attitude possible.

The first part of this list suggests some attitudes that may remind you of coping skills you may have forgotten. The second part contains some useful strategies that you may have forgotten, but that can energize your teaching and make school more enjoyable and productive for your students and yourself.

60 Helpful Attitudes

1. Be moderate in your approach. You do not have to be the world's best teacher all the time. You just have to be a very good one.

2. Spend your energy on large problems first and allot less of your energy for the small ones. Choose to deal with the problems that will give you the greatest benefit right away.

3. Problems can move you forward when you choose to work to solve them. Use your creative strengths to make your classroom well-disciplined and productive.

4. Make room for more emotional energy. Ask for help when you have a problem.

5. Learn to see problems as challenges that you can overcome.

6. Don't underestimate your students. They are capable of much more than you think they are.

7. Avoid negative people. Better yet, try not to be one of those negative people you are supposed to avoid.

8. Being optimistic doesn't mean that you don't have problems. A positive attitude means that you are working on a solution.

9. Make sure you have something fun to look forward to. Reward yourself when you achieve a goal.

10. You don't teach a class. You teach complex, living, breathing people.

11. Cherish your students. Even the worst-behaved ones have redeeming qualities.

12. Carpe Diem! When a teachable moment comes along, TEACH!

13. Don't forget that small attitude changes often create bigger patterns of success. What small attitude change can you make today?

14. When a task seems impossible, remind yourself of the teachers who made a difference in your life. You can do the same for your students.

15. The fun you have goofing around during your planning period is equal to the misery you'll experience trying to catch up later.

16. Be proactive! Plan what you are going to do if...

17. Discard something you're doing that is not productive. Figure out how to do just one thing more efficiently.

18. Practice deep breathing. You'll be glad you know how to calm yourself when a student is defiant, disrespectful, or just cranky.

19. Make it your goal that every student will leave your class with a positive attitude every day.

20. Use your strengths. Focus on your positive attributes to maximize the potential for success in your classroom.

21. Keep things in perspective. Ask yourself if the problems you have today will be important next year.

Try Some Strategies You May Have Forgotten

22. Talk less and listen more to your students.

23. Change the pace. Try three new activities this week.

24. Break large tasks into small, manageable ones.

25. Plan to ignore the small stuff.

26. Get to work a little early and stay a little late.

27. Stop trying to rely on your memory! You have too much to do to recall everything. Write it down in an organized fashion.

28. Be sure to plan for the last few minutes of class.

29. Empower your students by designing assignments that allow for limited student options. Give them innocuous choices such as the even or odd problems, essay topics, group tasks, or the best day to take a test.

30. You probably need to model more for your students. Most teachers do. And don't forget to show them what you don't want them to do, also.

31. Ask students to justify their answers on a test to encourage deeper thinking.

32. Let your students know what activities lie ahead of them so that they have something to look forward to. Try a little countdown to an exciting event to focus them on the positive.

33. Encourage independence! Tell your students that they must "See three before me" to find answers to questions.

34. At the end of a lesson, encourage reflection (and positive attitudes) by asking students to tell you what went well during class.

35. Build in wiggle breaks. Even seniors need a break now and then.

36. When students are engaged in learning new material, periodically ask them to stop and write about these three topics: what they think about the subject so far, what they understand about the subject, and any questions they still may have.

37. Don't work against the nature of your students. Make the material compelling by incorporating their interests and goals. When you were a teenager, you thought the world revolved around you, too.

38. Stimulate student curiosity by making your lessons as suspenseful and novel as possible. Ask students to solve puzzles or create solutions to problems.

39. Put some color in your classroom world. Break out the crayons or highlighters to help students pay attention to what's important in their notes.

40. Lower your voice. Your students will be more likely to lower theirs than if you shout.

41. Avoid problems when students finish work early by having other activities for them to complete. Students with nothing to do will amuse themselves by annoying nearby adults.

42. Increase the frequency of the positive recognition you give students.

43. Display student work. Rewarding students in this way is worth the time it takes to arrange it.

44. Put a list of terms or facts on the board and ask your students to determine what they have in common. If you include unlikely names or items, the class discussion could be lively.

45. At the end of a unit of study, give students a sheet with the alphabet in a column on the left. To review, they need to tell you one important fact from the lesson is related to a letter of the alphabet.

46. Show a movie. Be sure to teach good movie viewing behavior before you do. Better yet, have your students make a movie or slide show.

47. Avoid acting in anger no matter how frustrated you feel. Manage the discipline problems in your class with a problem-solving approach instead.

48. Set a concrete goal with your students: 100% on every quiz, everyone on time for a week, all homework complete... Use a bar graph to illustrate their progress.

49. Graphic organizers are wonderful ways to engage students. Busy students are happy students and happy students make happy teachers.

50. Use a variety of media to capture your audience-movies, art, wikis, songs, podcasts, television, interactive game sites, magazines, advertisements, cartoons, and slogans are just a few of the ways that you can capture attention.

51. When they ask, "Why do we have to do this?" be sure to have an excellent answer ready.

52. Use your student's competitive instincts to your advantage. Create teams to compete against other teams. Best of all, challenge your students to compete against themselves by working to improve their own best performance.

53. Center instruction around essential questions.

54. Ask students to demonstrate the best way to do something.

55. Make abstract ideas concrete. Ask students to produce a final product as the result of their work. This makes their effort visible.

56. Assign a set of questions to a group of students. Each student selects one question and becomes the expert about it. They can share with the entire class or with teams.

57. Your part of the workload should not always be greater than your students' part. Hold them accountable for setting goals, monitoring their own progress, and self-evaluation.

58. Ask your students to invent a game for a review activity.

59. Take photographs of your students. Be thrifty and print them on paper. Your students just want to see themselves on the classroom wall.

60. Schedule in some fun every day-for you and for your students. Smile together and misbehavior will decrease.

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60 ways survive & thrive school year ends class management benefits articles

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60 Ways to Survive & Thrive as the School Year Ends

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As the end of the school year approaches, students of all ages and ability levels become increasingly restless and distracted. Even the most studious scholars seem to lose interest in material that fascinated them just a few weeks ago. The result can be enormous frustration for the teachers of these fidgety and disengaged students.