Edition #6: A More Meaningful End to the School Year
Originally published on Tuesday, May 28, 2024
A few months ago, the findings of a study out of USC caught my eye. Specifically, researchers found that “adolescents who grapple with the bigger meaning of social situations experience greater brain growth,” which they referred to as “transcendent thinking.” Of course, this sort of thinking can happen at any time, though the end of the school year provides a unique and rare opportunity for students to self-reflect, make meaning, and grapple with the broader significance of their learning to date.
And yet, I so often find that we get caught up in the hustle of “doing school” in the final days of the year, whether it’s racing toward exams, squeezing in that last unit, or fully conceding to our students’ anticipation of the looming vacation (it’s SO real!).
For this week’s edition, I wanted to highlight some different strategies and activities that can help make the end of the year more meaningful for your students. Let me know if you try one of these out (or if you have a favorite end-of-year activity of your own)!
This Edition’s Spotlight: Ending the School Year…
Katherine Schulten, “10 Ideas for Reflecting at the End of the School Year,” The Learning Network, May 20, 2024
“4 Meaningful Activities to Mark the End of School,” Edutopia, May 19, 2024 (note: I’ve done letters of gratitude and letters to oneself in previous years and have always found it to be quite meaningful for students!)
Jay Schauer, “How Teachers Can Benefit From End-of-Year Reflections,” Edutopia, May 23, 2024
Try this: Have students write a six-word memoir that captures their experience of the class.
And This: Invite students to create a timeline of their learning in the course – defined loosely to allow for student interpretation. I tried this out with my elective last week and it worked great (I have no idea where I came across this activity, otherwise I’d link it!).
Other Things in the Ether…
Because handwriting is good for your brain: Jonathan Lambert, “Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning,” NPR, May 11, 2024
I’ve been thinking about this piece in relation to our departmental and divisional structure: Eric Quintane, et al., “Why Employees Who Work Across Silos Get Burned Out,” Harvard Business Review, May 13, 2024
For all the lower school teachers on this list: Kristin Rydholm, “14 Picture Books About Moving Away,” Edutopia, May 14, 2024
Great frameworks/material for advisory (and for all classes): Jessica Weingartner, “Building Well-Being: Fostering Mental Health in Schools,” Facing History & Ourselves, May 16, 2024.
This piece has a few great tips about how to engage students through more effective communication: John Orlando, “The NPR Model of Teaching through Storytelling,” FacultyFocus, May 17, 2024
Upcoming Local-ish PD…
June 11: “Teaching about Controversial Issues in Polarized Times,” Facing History*
June 20-22: The DKDK Project, “Boston University Academy: Teaching for Transformation Workshop” (Boston, MA)
June 24: “The Complexity of Jewish Identity: A Minority Identity in a Dominant Culture,” FacingHistory (one hour webinar)*
July 15-18: CTTL’s Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy (St. Andrew’s, Potomac, MD)
August 5-9: WISSIT (Washington International School)
*Free!