Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 134: The End of the School Year is In Sight: Meaningful Closure with Students

Transcript

Ep 134: The End of the School Year is In Sight: Meaningful Closure with Students · New Teacher Talk

0:01
Hello and welcome to another episode of New Teacher Talk.
0:05
I'm Dr.
0:05
Beth.
0:07
And, I'm Dr.
0:08
Anna.
0:08
We're so excited to have you join us for today's
0:11
conversation.
0:13
But before we get started,
0:14
we want to give a shout out to today's sponsor,
0:17
the New Teacher's Guide to Overcoming Common Challenges,
0:21
a practical hands-on guide for your first years in the
0:24
classroom based on 10 common challenges found in rural,
0:28
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0:31
The guide is filled with over 100 articles and associated
0:36
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0:42
The guide is available in paperback and ebook through
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0:48
Thank you, Anna, for that shout out about today's sponsor.
0:53
Now to today's episode.
0:55
It's hard to believe, Anna,
0:57
but the end of the school year is actually in sight now.
1:02
I know.
1:02
It feels like we were just setting up our classrooms and
1:05
meeting our students for the first time.
1:09
Yes, time really does fly by.
1:12
The end of the year is such an important time in our
1:14
classrooms.
1:15
It's a chance to wrap things up meaningfully,
1:18
celebrate growth, and prepare students for what's next.
1:23
I agree.
1:24
Today we want to talk about how to make the most of these
1:27
final weeks with our students.
1:30
So let's focus on reflection, celebration, student voice,
1:35
and transitions.
1:38
These are all such crucial elements of a strong finish to
1:41
the year.
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So let's jump right in.
1:44
Let's do it.
1:45
I want to start by talking about students' self-reflection.
1:49
We know how important it is for our students to look back
1:52
and recognize how far they've come during the school year,
1:55
but sometimes it can be challenging to facilitate
1:58
meaningful reflection, especially with younger students.
2:03
That's so true, Beth.
2:05
I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make as teachers
2:08
is to rush through to the end without giving students time
2:12
to process what they've learned and how they've grown.
2:16
Exactly.
2:17
We know that research shows that reflection is actually a
2:20
crucial part of the learning process.
2:23
When our students reflect on what they've learned,
2:25
they develop a stronger sense of ownership over that
2:28
knowledge,
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and they are more likely to apply it in the future.
2:33
I love that point.
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It's not just about looking back to feel good,
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but that's important too.
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It's really about cementing the learning that's happened
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and making it more permanent.
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So what are some of your favorite ways to help students
2:48
reflect on their school year?
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I really like using visual methods with my students,
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especially the young ones.
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One activity I've had success with is having students
3:00
create a personal growth timeline for the year.
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You know, I'm a visual learner, so tell me more about that.
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I give them a long strip of paper,
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like adding machine tape,
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and have them mark the beginning of the year at one end and
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the present at the other.
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Then they mark significant moments of learning, challenge,
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or growth throughout the year.
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They can add small drawings, symbols, stickers,
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or words to represent each milestone.
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It gives them really a tangible way to see their
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progression.
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They can roll it up, take it home, put it on their wall,
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on the refrigerator, wherever they like.
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Exactly.
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What reflection strategies have worked well in your
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classroom?
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I'm a big fan of using reflection question prompts.
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I've created a set of end-of-year reflection cards that ask
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questions.
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I do that by just using index cards.
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It makes it quick and easy.
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Here are some examples of questions I ask.
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What was something you learned this year that surprised
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you?
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What was a challenge you overcame?
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I love those kinds of questions because they get beyond the
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simple what was your favorite part of the year kind of
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prompts.
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That's right, I use these cards in different ways.
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Sometimes we do a reflection circle where the students take
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turns selecting a card and then sharing their thoughts.
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Other times I use them as journal prompts.
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And occasionally I'll set them up as stations around the
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room where students can respond to different questions.
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That's so flexible in its use.
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I found that giving students different ways to engage with
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reflection questions honors their different communication
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preferences.
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Some students really open up when it's writing, you know,
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when it's more about writing,
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while others really shine in conversation.
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That's such an important point about honoring student
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differences.
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Another reflection approach I've tried is having students
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compare work samples from the beginning of the year to now.
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Doing so, again, encourages that reflection.
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It makes their growth so concrete and visible when you do
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that.
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Yes, I save examples of their writing from September.
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And when we compare it to their current work,
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the students are always amazed at the difference.
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So then we can dig in deeper and we talk about what
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specific skills they've improved on,
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what strategies have helped them get better.
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I too have found that that specific type of reflection is
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extremely powerful for students.
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It really helps them see that growth comes from effort and
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strategy used throughout the school year,
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not just natural ability.
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Absolutely. It reinforces that growth mindset that we've
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been cultivating all year.
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And this works with any subject area,
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whether it's a writing sample, math problem solving,
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artwork, reading responses,
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anything where you can see a progression.
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I couldn't agree more, Anna.
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You know, I'm a secondary level teacher,
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so for middle and high school teachers listening,
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this approach can be adapted very easily by having students
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maintain portfolios throughout the year,
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and many of you already probably do that,
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and then they can review and reflect on their work as the
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school year comes to a close.
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Definitely.
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And for teachers who haven't saved student work throughout
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the year, don't worry.
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You can still facilitate reflection in other ways.
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Right.
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Another activity I like is having students write a letter
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to next year students.
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They can share advice, what to expect,
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challenges they might face,
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and strategies that help them succeed.
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I love that because it not only helps your current students
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reflect,
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but it also supports your future students when they arrive
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in your classroom.
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So that gives you something to get the year started with.
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Exactly.
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And then the students take it more seriously because they
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know there's a real audience who will read their advice.
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That's really powerful.
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So we've talked about individual reflection activities,
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but how can we make reflection a collective experience for
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the community?
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Yeah, that is a great question, Anna.
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Individual reflection is important,
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but there's something really special about reflecting as a
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community of learners.
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Definitely.
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When students hear about each other's growth and
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challenges,
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it helps them see that everybody's learning journey is
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different and that it's okay that they're different.
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I completely agree with that,
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and collective reflection also helps build that sense of
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community that we've been nurturing all school year.
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So what are some effective ways to facilitate collective
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reflection, Beth?
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One simple activity I love is creating a class memory book
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or a digital slideshow.
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Each student then contributes a page or a slide reflecting
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on their year and then we compile everything together into
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one collection that everyone can enjoy.
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That sounds like such a treasure to keep,
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especially for a first class.
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Would you share the slideshow with families as well?
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Oh, that's a great question.
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Absolutely.
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You know, parents, we're always working on that engagement.
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Parents really love seeing not just their own child's
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reflections,
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but also getting a glimpse into the classroom community as
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a whole.
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I can imagine.
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Another approach I've used is a collaborative wisdom wall.
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I put up a large piece of paper with prompts like, T
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his year we learned...
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or We got better at... And,
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students add their contributions and it's also a way to
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make use of the bulletin board paper that you're going to
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be taking down soon.
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That's very, very practical.
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That's a great visual representation, too,
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of their collective journey.
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I also like to set aside time for more structured sharing
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through activities like Appreciation Circles.
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Tell me more about those.
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I ask my students to sit in a circle,
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and we take turns acknowledging the contributions, growth,
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or positive qualities we've noticed in each other.
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It's a powerful way to help students see themselves through
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others' eyes.
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I love that idea because it's not just about academic
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growth,
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but students also need to recognize the social and emotional
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aspects of the classroom community and how it's helped them
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become who they are today.
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I think you nailed it there, Anna.
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It truly helps students practice giving specific,
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meaningful feedback to their peers and to others,
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just in general.
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And speaking of celebration,
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I think it's so important to frame our end of the year
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activities as authentic celebrations,
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rather than just checking boxes before summer.
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Our students can tell the difference between a genuine
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celebration and a teacher just going through the motions.
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Right.
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And celebrations don't have to be elaborate to be
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meaningful.
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One of my favorite end-of-the-year celebrations is a simple
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Museum of Learning,
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where students create displays showcasing something
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significant they learned or created during the year.
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Oh, I love that a lot.
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I can see it honoring student work by treating it as
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something worthy of being in a museum.
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Exactly,
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and we can invite families or sometimes other classes to
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tour our museum,
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and students take turns being the docents who explain their
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exhibits.
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In thinking about this wonderful culminating activity that
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you just talked about, that combines reflection,
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celebration, and student voice.
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And speaking of student voice,
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that's another crucial element of ending the year well,
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isn't it?
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Absolutely.
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Student voice should always be at the center of our end-of-
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year activities,
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just as it should be throughout the school year.
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I think sometimes we forget to actually ask students about
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their experiences and perceptions of being in class.
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We might assume we know what was meaningful to them,
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but their perspectives can surprise us all.
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You know, that is so true, Anna.
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It's been really insightful in my teaching.
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And as new teachers,
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they're always looking for feedback to improve their
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instruction.
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I've had activities that I thought were huge hits,
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only to find out through student feedback that they didn't
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have the impact I thought.
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And vice-a-versa.
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Sometimes what seemed like a small moment to me was
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transformative for a student.
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Exactly.
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So how do we create opportunities to genuinely hear student
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voices as we close out the year?
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One approach I found effective is conducting end-of-the-
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year student interviews.
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I set aside time to have these brief one-on-one
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conversations with each of my students about their
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experience.
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That sounds meaningful, Beth, but also time intensive.
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How do you manage that logistically?
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Your question is a cogent one.
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It does take planning, but it's worth it.
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I usually do it during independent work time over the
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course of a week or two.
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Each conversation is about five to ten minutes,
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but it gives every student a chance to share their thoughts
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in a more private one-on-one setting.
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I like that.
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Some students are more comfortable sharing honestly in a one
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-on-one context than in front of the whole class because
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they might feel judged.
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Exactly.
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I ask questions like, What helped you learn best this year?
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Or, What would you change about our classroom if you could?
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Their insights are incredibly valuable for refining my
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practice.
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I bet, and I've used survey tools for similar purposes.
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I've created a digital survey with both rating scales and
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some open-ended questions about different aspects of our
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classroom,
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from instructional approaches to community building.
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That gives you data you can analyze over time.
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Do you share the results with your students?
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I do.
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They especially like pie charts.
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We look at the aggregate results together and discuss what
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we notice.
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Students feel empowered when they see that their feedback
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is taken seriously.
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That's such an important point.
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If we ask for student input,
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we need to demonstrate that we value it by acknowledging
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it.
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And when appropriate, acting on it.
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I know I do that when students have given me feedback about
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something that they were learning that was very helpful or
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not helpful.
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When they share those ideas that I really did not consider
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the next school year,
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I always acknowledge that student or those group of
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students who made those suggestions.
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I really want to honor that student voice.
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Another aspect of student voice I try to incorporate is
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inviting students to help plan our end-of-year activities.
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Yes,
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because when students have agency and planning how to close
15:12
out the year, they're much more invested in the process.
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The way I do it is I usually form a small committee of
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student volunteers who help brainstorm and organize our
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final celebrations.
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It amazes me to see what they come up with when I give them
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that opportunity.
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And it takes some of the pressure off of us as teachers
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too.
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Definitely.
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I have found that student-planned celebrations often have
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elements I would not have thought of,
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but they are really meaningful to the class.
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And that makes sense, Beth,
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because they have a different perspective on what defined
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their year as a community.
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Right.
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And now as we think about honoring student voice and
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celebrating their growth,
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we should also talk about helping them transition to what
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comes next, right?
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Yes, transitions are so important to address explicitly.
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Whether your students are moving to the next grade level,
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changing schools, or just facing the big shift into summer,
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transitions can bring a lot of different emotions.
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Absolutely.
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I've seen that every year.
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I think we sometimes forget how significant these
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transitions feel to our students.
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Even moving from one grade to the next within the same
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school can feel like a big leap into the unknown for them.
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And students might not always be able to articulate their
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anxieties about transitions,
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but that doesn't mean they're not experiencing them.
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I agree, exactly.
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I found that creating dedicated space to talk about
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transitions helps normalize those feelings and gives the
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students tools to manage them.
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What are some ways you address transitions in your
17:00
classroom, Beth?
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I like to be really explicit about what students can expect
17:06
in the next grade level or school.
17:09
I often invite a teacher from the next grade to come speak
17:12
to my class and answer questions.
17:15
That's great because it puts a friendly face to what's
17:17
coming next and demystifies the experience.
17:21
Yes, and whenever possible,
17:23
I try to arrange a visit to the classroom or school they
17:28
will be attending so that they can visualize the space.
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That physical preview can be so reassuring.
17:34
For older students transitioning to middle or high school,
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I've found that it's helpful to connect them with student
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ambassadors who can share their experiences.
17:46
Oh, I love that peer-to-peer connection.
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I've seen that so many times at the secondary level.
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It makes a big difference.
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It's often more meaningful coming from another student than
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from an adult.
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Definitely.
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I also think it's important to acknowledge that transitions
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aren't just about academics.
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They're about social connections, too.
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Yes,
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students often worry about who their friends will be or
18:11
whether they'll still see the friends they've made this
18:13
year.
18:15
Exactly.
18:16
One activity I do is to have students create friendship
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webs where they map out their current connections and then
18:23
discuss how friendships can evolve and grow over time even
18:27
through these transitions.
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That's a wonderful way to visualize social networks as
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dynamic rather than static.
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That's very, very creative Anna.
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Thanks.
18:38
It helps them see that making new friends doesn't mean
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losing old ones.
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We talk about different ways to maintain connections while
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also being open to new relationships.
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That's very important.
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I also like to focus on the skills and strategies students
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have developed that will serve them well in their next
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environment.
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Could you give us an example, Beth?
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Sure, together we make a list called Tools in My Toolbox,
19:08
where the students identify specific academic and social
19:13
-emotional skills they've strengthened this year that will
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help them succeed in the next school year.
19:20
I love that metaphor of a toolbox.
19:22
It helps students see that they're carrying valuable
19:25
resources with them into new situations.
19:29
Exactly.
19:30
And it reinforces that even though the environment will
19:33
change,
19:34
they've built capacities that go with them wherever they
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go.
19:39
And that's really empowering.
19:41
What about the summer transition specifically?
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How do you help students maintain momentum through the
19:47
summer months?
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That's an important question.
19:52
I try to provide optional but engaging learning
19:55
opportunities for summer.
19:58
Not busy work,
19:59
but meaningful activities that connect to their interests.
20:04
Yes,
20:04
the key is making it feel inviting rather than obligatory.
20:09
I create a summer learning menu with various options they
20:12
can choose from based on what excites them.
20:16
That choice element is so important and connecting with the
20:20
local library summer reading program can be a great
20:23
resource, too.
20:25
Absolutely.
20:26
We usually take a trip to the library or have the
20:29
children's librarian come in for a visit.
20:32
I always make sure students and their families know about
20:35
free community resources before they leave for summer.
20:40
I can add to that.
20:40
I also like to provide some structured reflection prompts
20:43
for students to use periodically during this summer.
20:47
It helps them connect their summer experiences to their
20:49
learning.
20:51
That's great.
20:52
And for those teaching in communities where students might
20:55
face challenges accessing resources over the summer,
20:59
it's especially important to connect families with support
21:02
options.
21:04
Yes, whether that's free meal programs, library access,
21:09
community center activities, or other resources,
21:12
making sure our students and families know what's available
21:16
to them is crucial.
21:18
Beth, we've covered so much ground today,
21:22
let's wrap up with some final thoughts on creating
21:25
meaningful closure at the end of the school year.
21:29
You know, Anna,
21:30
the end of the school year is such a special time in our
21:33
classrooms.
21:34
It's an opportunity to honor the community we have built
21:37
and the growth we've really witnessed throughout the entire
21:41
academic year.
21:43
I think the key elements we've discussed today—reflection,
21:47
celebration, student voice,
21:50
and transition support—all work together to create that
21:54
sense of meaningful closure.
21:57
And I think it's worth emphasizing that these activities
22:00
don't need to be elaborate or time-consuming to be
22:04
impactful.
22:05
That's such an important point.
22:07
Sometimes the simplest moments,
22:09
like a reflection circle or a letter exchange,
22:12
can be the most meaningful.
22:15
I'd like to add too.
22:16
Let's remember that teachers need closure as well.
22:20
Taking time to reflect on our own growth and celebrate our
22:24
successes is just as important.
22:27
Yes,
22:28
teacher reflection is a crucial part of developing our practice.
22:32
Just as we ask our students to look back on their learning
22:35
journey, we should do the same.
22:38
Exactly.
22:39
I always set aside time at the end of the year to
22:42
personally journal about what went well,
22:44
what challenges I faced,
22:46
and what I want to refine next school year.
22:50
That's a great practice because it keeps it top of mind.
22:53
And finding colleagues to reflect with can make the process
22:56
even more valuable.
22:58
I like that collaborative idea with colleagues.
23:01
Having that outside perspective helps us see things we
23:04
might miss on our own.
23:06
Yes.
23:07
So as we wrap up today's conversation,
23:10
what would you say are the most important takeaways for
23:13
teachers planning their end-of-year activities?
23:17
I guess I'd say first,
23:19
be intentional about creating space for reflection.
23:24
Don't let the busyness of the end of the year crowd out
23:27
those important moments of not only looking back,
23:30
but also recognizing growth.
23:33
That's a great one.
23:34
And I'd add,
23:36
center student voice in your end of year processes.
23:39
Ask for their input, listen to their perspectives,
23:43
and honor their experiences.
23:46
I agree. Absolutely.
23:47
And I think another key point is to balance looking back
23:51
with looking forward.
23:54
Reflection is important,
23:56
but so is preparing our students for their next steps,
24:00
the next school year.
24:02
Yes,
24:02
and front the end of the year as a celebration of learning
24:06
rather than just a finish line to cross.
24:09
The energy we bring to these final weeks sets the tone for
24:13
how students will remember their time with us.
24:16
So true.
24:17
And finally,
24:18
I'd say don't forget to take care of yourself during this
24:22
busy time.
24:23
The end of the year can be emotionally and physically
24:26
demanding on us.
24:28
Great point.
24:29
And we here at New Teacher Talk always say self-care isn't
24:33
selfish.
24:34
It's necessary for us to show up as our best selves for our
24:38
students.
24:40
Well said, Anna, well said.
24:42
And listeners,
24:43
we hope that this conversation has given you some practical
24:46
ideas and inspiration for creating meaningful closure with
24:50
your students this year.
24:52
We'd love to hear about your end-of-year traditions and
24:55
activities too.
24:56
You can share them with us on our social media channels on
25:00
Instagram and BlueSky @NewTeacherTalk.
25:04
If you'd like to have a free downloadable resource with the
25:08
ideas we've shared today,
25:10
check out our social media tomorrow for a QR code and grab
25:15
the document to prepare for your own end of the school
25:18
year.
25:19
That's a wonderful resource.
25:21
There's just so much in that document.
25:23
So use the QR code, grab it,
25:25
prepare for your own end of the school year.
25:27
And if you enjoyed this episode,
25:29
please subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review.
25:33
It helps other teachers find our show.
25:37
It does,
25:37
and next time we'll be focused on what teachers can do to
25:42
recharge.
25:43
And until then,
25:44
remember that the impact that you've had on your students
25:47
extends far beyond what you can see right now.
25:51
That's so true.
25:52
The seeds you've planted this school year,
25:54
that soon to come to an end,
25:56
will continue to grow long after you're working with your
26:00
students.
26:02
Thanks for listening to New Teacher Talk today.
26:04
I'm Dr.
26:05
Anna.
26:05
And I'm Dr.
26:06
Beth.
26:06
Have a wonderful end of the year with your students.
26:09
Know that we are here to support YOU!