Finishing The Year Strong
Published Online: May 4, 2011
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This article is adapted from Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom
Challenges by Larry Ferlazzo, just published by Eye on Education.
A teacher thinks: State testing is done, the weather is getting nicer, and we are all getting spring fever.
There are six or seven weeks left of school and students are easily distracted. It’s even hard for me to stay
focused. I don’t just want to "coast." What can I do?
Those last few weeks of school can be challenging, and it is understandable that both students and teachers
would be tempted to "slack-off" a bit. However, it is important for the future of our students that we
actually "step up" the quality and intensity of what is happening in our classrooms during that time period.
Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman tells about an experiment done in the 1990’s when two groups of
patients were given colonoscopies. One group "finished" when the procedure was completed. The other
group stayed a while longer, believing the procedure was continuing when in fact it had ended—so the pain
was gone or reduced dramatically. The second group described the procedure afterward as much less
painful than the first group did, even though both groups had recorded similar levels of pain during the
procedure except for the extra time provided the second group. Kahneman uses this example to explain that
we have an "experiencing self" and a "remembering self."
The "remembering self" is comprised of the one or two "peak" moments we have had in a situation
combined with how it ends (this is known as the "Peak/End Rule"). It is the remembering self that tends to
stick with us and the one we use to frame future decisions.
From this perspective, what occurs in the final weeks of our classes will have a huge influence on how
students feel about—and make future decisions related to—learning, schooling, the subject you are
teaching, how they might feel about future teachers (and how they might feel about future male or female
teachers, depending on your gender), showing leadership in a class, etc.
This time near the end of the year provides us the opportunity to help students finish strong, with a peak or
two to remember as well. I have previously shared ideas on what we can do on the absolute last day of
school. Here are a few suggestions on things we can do for students and ourselves during the final weeks.
Introducing the Idea of a Strong Finish
Students can reflect on these two questions, turning their answers into posters that can be hung around the
classroom as reminders and shared with each other:
• What are three things you can do to help finish the school year strong academically?
• What is one thing you can do to help your classmates finish the year strong academically?
Students’ own unit plan: Have small groups of students identify a topic in which they have a high-degree
of interest, prepare a full-fledged unit instructional plan on the topic, and then teach a portion to the class or
to another small group. Allowing students to assume the teacher's role can be a strong motivator near the
end of the school year. Students should use whatever engaging instructional methods have been previously
used in the class.
Other cooperative learning projects: If a student-created unit plan does not sound like a good idea for
some reason, other cooperative learning lessons and strategies, including problem-based and project-based
learning, can be a good alternative. Here's my list of best sites.
Field trip—real and/or virtual: A local, or not-so-local, field trip can always be an energizer. Learning
activities in the days leading-up to the trip that are specifically related to the trip—followed by reflections
afterward—can provide a good week’s worth of engagement. Sometimes a "real" field trip can be
challenging logistically and financially. But thanks to Web 2.0 technology, you can now have students
create their own virtual field trips. There are many free websites that will let users easily create virtual field
trips. Students can use these applications to visit places online, describe them, and show them to their
classmates.
Other technology projects: In general, the end of the school year is a great time to take the leap and try
out more technology integration in your classroom. Engage students with learning experiences that are a
good fit with digital tools and techniques. Create online projects for "authentic audiences" where people
other than the teacher can see and comment on them.
How Can Teachers Stay Energized?
The previous suggestions relate to how we can help our students stay focused. What can teachers do to
keep their own teaching energy turned up? Here are a few ideas that are modified versions of what
community organizers (I was one for 19 years) are often urged to do when they are feeling "burned-out":
Work fewer hours: By this time of the year, "throwing time" at school doesn’t pay dividends. Cutting
back on outrageous work hours per week can often result in feeling more energized in the classroom.
Read a stimulating book: Finding an intellectually-stimulating book (or article) on teaching and learning
might get you excited to try out some new things—even though it’s the end of the year.
Watch an intellectually stimulating video on the Web: Watching one of the numerous short and thoughtprovoking videos on the Web from sites like TED Talks, The Big Think, Ignite, Big Ideas Fest or Pop!Tech
is another option. These videos are free and showcase presentations by people who are doing some of the
most "cutting-edge" thinking and working in the world.
Write something useful for other teachers: Whether it’s a blog post or a lesson plan to be shared (or
something else), forcing yourself to craft something public can keep your mind sharp.
Make a point to eat lunch—individually—with teachers you don’t know well, but are impressed
with: It can be energizing to meet with another teacher and learn why they chose this profession, what
they’ve discovered about teaching and learning, what gives them energy, and to hear their "story."
Though we generally think of the word "end" as a conclusion, we should keep in mind it comes from the
Greek word anti, which means "before." While we might think we're concluding the school year, we are
really—much more importantly—setting students, and ourselves, up for what comes next.
Larry Ferlazzo teaches English at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. He writes a
popular blog for teachers and is the author of three books. He also supports a blog that shares ideas and
resources to improve the school-parent relationship.