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The End of The School Year: a Reflection

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Published: Sep 5, 2023

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Personal growth and development, academic achievements and challenges, anticipation of new beginnings, conclusion: embracing reflection and growth.

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Essay on Last Day of School

Students are often asked to write an essay on Last Day of School in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Last Day of School

The anticipation.

The last day of school is always filled with mixed emotions. Excitement for the upcoming holidays, sadness for saying goodbye to friends, and relief from the daily routine.

The Farewell

On this day, we bid farewell to our teachers and friends. The classrooms echo with laughter and tears, as we share memories and promises to stay in touch.

The Celebration

The day concludes with celebrations. Parties, games, and final group photos mark the end of another school year.

As we leave the school gates, we look forward to the holidays, and the new adventures that await us next year.

250 Words Essay on Last Day of School

The mixed emotions of the last day.

The last day of school is a paradoxical blend of joy and melancholy. It marks the culmination of a significant chapter in our lives, brimming with a vast array of emotions. On one hand, there’s the exhilaration of stepping into a new phase of life, while on the other, there’s the sorrow of bidding adieu to familiar faces and cherished memories.

The Anticipation of New Beginnings

The last day of school is a stepping stone to the future. It’s the day when the cocoon of school life breaks open, unveiling a world of infinite possibilities. The anticipation of new beginnings, be it college, a job, or a gap year, is palpable. This day embodies the transition from the safety and predictability of school to the uncertainty and excitement of the real world.

The Nostalgia of Past Memories

Simultaneously, the last day is a nostalgic trip down memory lane. As we clean out our lockers and say our goodbyes, we’re reminded of the countless memories we’ve created. From the first day of kindergarten to the final high school prom, every moment becomes a cherished memory. The friendships forged, the lessons learned, the triumphs and failures, all contribute to the bittersweet symphony of the last day.

The last day of school is a milestone that marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another. It’s a day of celebration, reflection, and anticipation. As we step out of the school gates for the last time, we’re not just leaving behind a building, but a significant phase of our lives. It’s an emotional farewell, but also a hopeful hello to the future.

500 Words Essay on Last Day of School

Introduction.

The last day of school holds a unique significance for every student. It is a day of mixed emotions, a day when we feel both joy and sorrow, excitement and regret. It is the culmination of years of hard work, friendships, and experiences that have shaped us as individuals. It is also a day of farewells, of leaving behind the familiar and stepping into the unknown.

The Emotional Roller Coaster

Reflections and farewells.

The last day of school is a time for reflection. It’s a time to look back at the journey, to remember the highs and lows, the triumphs and failures. It is also a time to acknowledge the role that the school has played in our lives, shaping our personalities, instilling values, and equipping us with knowledge and skills. The farewell ceremonies, the signing of yearbooks, the tearful goodbyes – all these are poignant reminders of the bonds that we have formed and the memories that we have created.

Stepping into the Future

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the last day of school is that it is a stepping stone into the future. It is a rite of passage, a transition from one phase of life to another. As we bid goodbye to our school days, we are also preparing ourselves for the next stage – be it college, work, or other pursuits. The last day of school is a reminder that change is inevitable, and that we must learn to adapt and grow.

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10 Ideas for Reflecting at the End of the School Year

Inspired by Times articles and features from across sections, these exercises can help both students and teachers think about their growth.

By Katherine Schulten

Updated for 2024, with a new companion student and teacher forum !

You might have begun the school year with our 10 ideas for building community , all of which were inspired by Times features. Now, as the academic year comes to a close, here is another list, one both teachers and students can use — ideally working together.

Below, 10 ways to reflect on the year that was, think about what you learned, note how you grew and changed — and consider what it all means for next year.

We are also publishing a companion writing prompt to which we invite both students and teachers to respond. The prompt echoes the exercises below, and we invite you to share any part of your thinking that you’d like to make public.

Happy almost-summer, and thank you again for teaching and learning with The New York Times.

Start with a journal.

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

Free End of Year Writing Prompts

By the time the end of the school year arrives, I am digging down deep in my bag of tricks and searching my resources for new ideas to engage my students. Often, we have used our best activities and resources well before the final month of school. This post will give you some fresh end of year writing prompts just for that final month of school (with ideas on how to make them more engaging for students who have checked out).

Using the End of Year Writing Prompts

These end of the year writing prompts can be used for:

• Writing centers or stations
• Early finisher activities
• Independent writing activities

Want to add in some instant engagement if your students are reluctant writers? Try these tips:

• Take them outside to write. Want prompts designed specifically for outdoor writing? Click here.
• Let the students write with partners.
• Allow the students to choose the prompts they want to write about.
• Make these a whole group (and silly) writing activity by choosing one prompt for all of the students to write. Give the students 3-5 minutes to start writing the essay/story. Then have them leave their papers on their desks and rotate to another desk. Give them a few minutes to read the story on the desk they are at now and then a few more minutes to add to it. Continue the activity for about 20-30 minutes. Then have the students return to their desks to read their original stories. This works really well with narrative or how-to prompts.
• Let the students write their essays/stories on dry-erase boards. You won’t be able to check them or save them, but your students will love the chance to actually write an essay on a dry-erase board.

Here are the writing prompts…free downloadable versions available at the end of this post.

Narrative Writing Prompts

• Thinking back on the school year, write a personal narrative describing your favorite memory and why it stood out amongst the other school days.
• Go back in time to the first day of school, and write a letter to yourself describing three of the things you will learn this year and why they’re important.
• It’s the last day of school and you get locked in after everyone leaves. Write about what happens next.
• Imagine that you’re an object in the classroom (i.e., desk, pencil sharpener, whiteboard, etc.), and write a story about the things that happened during the school year from the perspective of that object.
• Write a fictional narrative pretending that you switched places with a cafeteria worker for the day.
• You’re working as a school custodian. It’s the last day of school, and you enter the school gymnasium. Write a story about what you find and what happens next.
• The principal calls you to his or her office and explains that your teacher will be out for the rest of the school year. It’s up to you to teach the class for the rest of the year. Write a story explaining what happens next.
• Finish this story: I was walking by the art room on the last day of school when I suddenly saw…
• You’re helping your teacher pack up the classroom library when you find something unexpected behind the books. Write a story describing what you find and what happens next.
• Write a fictional narrative pretending that the school just announced that summer break has been canceled and that the new school year will start next week.

Persuasive/Opinion Writing Prompts

• Do you think schools should be year-round or follow a traditional school calendar with summers off? Write a persuasive essay supporting your opinion.
• In your opinion, should teachers give schoolwork over the summer vacation? Write an opinion piece that supports your stance.
• Many people believe that schools should have later start times to allow students to get enough sleep. Write a persuasive essay explaining your position on the issue.
• Students must turn in their tablets and computers at the end of each school year. Should they be allowed to take them home and use them during the summer instead? Write an opinion piece that clearly supports your position.
• In your opinion, which job is the most important at your school? Write an opinion piece that clearly supports your opinion.
• Write a letter to your principal persuading him or her to have field trips over the summer. Include the benefits of having summer field trips as well as possible locations in your letter.

Informational Writing Prompts

• Compare and contrast this school year and last school year.
• Write a letter to a student who is entering the grade you’re completing, and explain how to be successful next year.
• What is needed to have a fun summer? Write an informational essay explaining the things needed to have a fun and exciting summer. Include details about each thing and why it is important.
• Write an informational piece outlining a typical school day for a student in your grade.
• Write a how-to essay explaining how to have the best last day of school. In your essay, include the characteristics of an ideal last day of school.

Descriptive Prompts

• Describe the ideal summer day. Include details about the weather, the activities, and the people involved.
• Describe your school in detail. Include details about the activities offered, the mascot, the colors, and the academics.
• Describe the perfect day of school. In your description, include details about how the day would be, from beginning to end.

Digital End of Year Reflection Prompts

These free end of year writing prompts are now available in digital format with Google Slides. When you download the PDF (from the next section), you will find the links to access the digital end of year writing prompts on the first page.

Here are some ideas for using these free digital end of year writing prompts:

• Assign one prompt at a time.
• Assign several prompts at a time for completion within a specified time frame.
• Assign several prompts at a time but allow students to choose a specific number to complete from the total assigned.

Need help assigning Google Slides through Google Classroom? Click here!

Download the FREE End of Year Writing Prompts

Want More End of the Year Activities for Literacy?

Interested in more end of the year activities for literacy? Click here or on the image below to see my End of the Year Literacy Activities for 4th and 5th grade.

The resource contains over 20 no-/low-prep activities for reading and writing, with TWELVE of those in digital format!

Share the Knowledge!

Reader interactions.

April 27, 2020 at 1:37 pm

Jennifer, I am retiring at the end of this school year. I have taught for 32 years and I’m 66 years old–but a very young 66. I couldn’t have made it without your amazing contribution to education. The past two years I have stepped back into a 5th grade classroom, after four years as a district instructional coach. It was a huge change for me. I have used your products enough that I consider you a good friend. So, when I google something, and you pop up first, I totally say, “Hey, I know her. Her stuff is the best!!” I have also appreciated your distance learning ideas and activities, both free and paid. They have saved me the last six weeks or so. Thank you so much and good luck with your business.

May 7, 2020 at 12:30 am

Thank you so much. These look amazing.

June 3, 2020 at 4:49 pm

Thank you very much. These are very helpful. You are totally right, it has been a strange end to the 2019-20 school year.

July 19, 2020 at 1:05 pm

Do you employ the use of daily prompts to kickstart your journal writing?

https://dailyjournal.club/journal-prompts-2-step-process-for-success/

May 18, 2021 at 2:47 pm

Thank you so much for the EOY writing prompts–they are fantastic!! I focus on writing all year long, and toward the end of May, I always feel like I’m out of ideas!! Your prompts are engaging and fresh. Thank you so much for sharing freely!!

May 24, 2022 at 3:05 pm

Jennifer, Thank you so much for sharing these awesome end of the year writing ideas! It is greatly appreciated! Diana

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End of Year Reflection Essay Example

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50 End of the Year Writing Prompts to Chronicle Your Past School Year

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Can you believe we’re already saying goodbye to another school year? It’s that time again to hit the pause button, not just to gear up for what’s next, but to really soak in all that we’ve accomplished.

To help with wrapping things but also to gather a glimpse into what this last year has been for our students, I’ve crafted a collection of end of the year writing prompts that are perfect for you homeschool crew but would work just as well for those in traditional schools.

These prompts are a fantastic tool to help our kids (and us!) dive deep into their experiences over the past year. They provide a snapshot of how much they’ve grown academically and personally, spark their creativity, and the best part? They transform into wonderful keepsakes that capture this moment in their educational journey.

Pin this image to read the article later. 📌

Why use end of the year writing prompts?

Why should we use end of the school year writing prompts? It’s simple: they help kids reflect on their progress, understand their feelings about their experiences, and improve their writing skills.

For us parents and teachers, their writings become insta-snapshots into their minds. We get to witness their thoughts but also to see what has work and what hasn’t over the past year.

➤ Reflective Growth: These prompts get kids to think back on the past year, helping them recognize what they’ve learned and the hurdles they’ve overcome. It’s a great way for them to see how they’ve grown and how they’ve tackled challenges along the way.

➤ Tracking Progress: It’s like looking through a before-and-after photo album. By comparing writings from the start of the year to those at the end, you can really see your child’s progress in how they express themselves and organize their thoughts. It’s super helpful for me to see how my teaching methods and curriculum choices are working out.

➤ Boosting Self-awareness: Writing lets kids dig into what they’re good at and what they might need to work on. This isn’t just useful for their academics—it’s great for building their confidence and motivation, too.

➤ Creative Outlet: After a structured year, these prompts offer a fun break. Kids can let their imaginations run wild, whether they’re writing stories, crafting poems, or reflecting in essays. It’s a chance for them to freely express themselves and maybe even rediscover their love for writing.

➤ Sharpening Communication Skills: Good communication is key, everywhere. These prompts give kids another opportunity to practice putting their thoughts into words clearly and effectively. It’s a skill they’ll use for a lifetime.

➤ Creating Memories: The writings from these prompts often turn into cherished keepsakes. They capture your child’s thoughts and growth at this point in their schooling. Later on, these pieces can be a wonderful way to look back and remember their journey through each school year.

So, end-of-year writing prompts are a practical tool. They’re a way for students to wrap up the year thoughtfully and start the next one with a clear mind. Moreover, they’re a useful too for parents and educators to gauge how the school year has looked like for kids, from their POV. These prompts are a straightforward, yet powerful way to end the school year on a high note.

Sample prompts for different ages

These end of the year writing prompts are designed to engage students of all ages while allowing them to reflect on their personal experiences and academic growth over the past school year. But we’re not just talking basic “what I did over summer vacation” essays here! I’ve cooked up some prompts that’ll really get those creative juices flowing in fun, imaginative ways.

10 Elementary School End of the Year Writing Prompts:

• Describe your favorite memory from this school year. What made it so special?
• If you could travel back to the first day of school, what advice would you give your younger self?
• Imagine you’re burying a time capsule. What three things from this school year would you put inside?
• If you could have any superpower to help you learn, what would it be and why?
• Write about what you want to be when you grow up and how what you learned this year helps you achieve it.
• Pick one subject area and explain how you’ve grown in that area since the beginning of the year.
• Share one good habit you started this year that helps you with school.
• Describe a time you helped someone this year and how it made you feel.
• What was your favorite lesson this year and what made it so special?
• Write about a field trip you would love to go on next year and why.

10 Middle School Prompts:

• What was the biggest challenge you faced this year and how did you overcome it?
• Describe a time you took on a leadership role and what you learned from the experience.
• If you could invent a new school subject or class, what would it be and why?
• Write about a risk you took this year that paid off or a fear you confronted.
• Reflect on a quote or lesson that resonated with you and how it has impacted your perspective.
• Write a newspaper article about the top three events from your school year.
• Write a letter to your future self to open when you graduate from middle school.
• Write about someone who inspired you this year and why.
• Argue for or against a school/homeschol rule you’d like to change and explain your reasoning.
• Plan out a creative project you’d like to do next year and outline the steps you’ll take.

10 High School Prompts:

• Looking back, what is one thing you wish you could have done differently this school year?
• Describe how your relationships with friends or family have evolved over the past year.
• What accomplishment from this year are you most proud of and why?
• Write a mission statement for your life describing your core values and aspirations.
• If you had to summarize the most important lesson you’ve learned, what would it be?
• Write a practice college application essay about a significant experience from high school.
• Pay tribute to a mentor who has made a difference in your life this year.
• Share an experience where you learned about a different culture and what it taught you.
• Write a speech you might give at graduation, reflecting on your high school experience.
• Discuss a book that changed your perspective this year and how.

20 Cross-Curricular Writing Prompts for All Ages

You can go beyond just asking kids about their school year and into specific subjects such as English language arts, social studies, or visual arts. You can also ask them to think about how the future might look for them, what new skills they want to learn about, what new goals they have for the new year, and more!

• Reflect on the historical leaders you’ve learned about this year. Select the one who resonates with you the most. Imagine stepping into their shoes and addressing their followers. Write a speech as this leader. Consider the challenges and triumphs of their time. What message would you want to convey to your people? How would you inspire them?
• Imagine living in an ancient civilization you’ve learned about. Write a diary entry describing your daily life.
• Identify a current event you care about. Write an essay on the change you hope to see and how it can be achieved.
• Research a country you’d like to visit. Write a travel guide with places to see and activities to do.
• Describe the view from an airplane window over a geographic location of your choice. What do you see below? (for more writing prompts related to geography, check my Egypt Writing Prompts and Mysteries )
• Narrate your typical day using the foreign language you’re learning.
• Compose a letter to a pen pal in a country where the language you’re learning is spoken, describing your school year.
• Reflect on the books you’ve read this year. Write a review of the one that impacted you the most.
• Write a poem inspired by a setting from one of the books you’ve read this year.
• Write about an artist you studied and how they’ve influenced your view of art.
• Imagine you’re opening an art exhibit. Write an announcement for the event, describing the featured artworks.
• Write a first-person account of a scientist making a significant discovery in the field of physical science.
• Develop an idea for a new invention. Write a proposal explaining how it works and its potential impact.
• Write about a real-life situation where you applied mathematical concepts you learned this year.
• Imagine you’re a scientist documenting a groundbreaking discovery. Write a journal entry describing your findings, the experiments conducted, and the impact on the scientific community.
• Write a review of a musical performance you attended this year, detailing your experience.
• Create a playlist of songs that represent your school year. Write about why you selected each song.
• Write a strategic plan for improving in a sport you played this year.
• Discuss the importance of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle in an informative essay.
• Research an environmental issue (such as climate change, deforestation, or pollution). Write a persuasive essay arguing for a specific solution to address this problem. (For more environmental writing prompts , check my Earth Day Reading Comprehension Worksheets Pack )

You know what makes these end-of-year writing prompts even more awesome? I went ahead and made a printable version that you can get for FREE below:

Do you wan to continue the writing fun over the summer? Do your kids need a refresh on the most common types of writing? Why not try our One Month of Summer Writing Prompts printable?

End of the year writing activities ideas and implementation for classrooms or co-ops

I know the end of the year leaves us all a bit drained and less creative so let me share some fun ideas for wrapping up the school year with some engaging writing activities for the kids that go beyond just journaling. I think you’ll really like these.

First off, why not have them create a memory book or autograph book ? They can fill it with highlights from the year, notes from friends, and reflections on how they’ve grown. It’ll be such a cool keepsake for them to look back on and reminisce about this school year’s friendships and experiences.

Another thought is setting up a dedicated writing center with different prompts, tools, and resources . Give them a cozy little nook where they can get creative – writing stories, crafting letters to next year’s students, or just reflecting on their academic journey this past year.

You could also showcase their written work on a big bulletin board ! Display stories, essays, poems – whatever they’ve poured their hearts into writing. It’s a great way to celebrate their diverse voices and talents.

For a more comprehensive collection, you could compile each kid’s writings into an award folder or yearlong portfolio . Then they (and you!) can easily track their progress over time. It’s the perfect assessment tool and keepsake all wrapped into one.

But here’s one of my favorite ideas: host an end-of-year writing celebration or showcase ! Make it a fun, informal classroom event or even a bigger school-wide deal. Give those kids a chance to read and present their best pieces out loud for friends, teachers, parents – the works! They’ll feel like rockstar writers.

Help them out

Now, I know getting kids motivated to write at the end of the year can be tough with their minds already on summer vacation. But there are ways to keep them engaged!

Like offering them choices in the writing prompts so they can pick topics they’re actually interested in. Or using cool visuals, videos, songs – anything to spark their creativity.

You can also let them express themselves through different mediums like drawings, audio recordings, videos. Give options to make writing more fun and accessible for everyone.

And be sure to go easy on your reluctant writers . Celebrate any effort they give, even if it’s just a few sentences. Lots of praise and positive reinforcement can go a long way in building their confidence.

It’s also smart to tailor your writing activities by grade level. Adjust how complex or lengthy the prompts are, or incorporate specific themes that’ll be relevant and engaging for each age group. And definitely give your younger ones more guidance and support as needed.

With technology nowadays, you could try interactive writing platforms or have kids create digital stories combining text, images, and audio. Or set up opportunities for them to collaborate and give each other feedback online. Games and coding that involve creative storytelling could be cool, too!

And think how awesome it would be to have kids work together on writing projects in teams. Assign fun roles like editors, researchers, authors. Build that sense of community. Or compile their individual writings into a published classroom collection they can all feel proud of.

The possibilities are endless! Why not provide summer writing prompts they can keep working through? Or suggest keeping personal journals of their summer adventures? You could even look into finding some fun local writing camps to help keep their skills sharp.

The key is making end-of-year writing an enjoyable, celebratory experience. It’s their chance to flex their creativity and be proud of how much they’ve grown as writers this year. With the right activities and energy around it, writing can be the highlight rather than a chore. Just think of the memories and keepsakes you’ll help create!

I’m honestly getting excited just thinking about all the ways to make end-of-year writing special this year. What does your gut say? Any favorites from the ideas I shared?

End of the year writing activities ideas and implementation for classrooms

Of course, I can’t help not sharing some really cool ideas for end-of-year writing activities that work great for homeschoolers, too.

Kids could put together a homeschool portfolio reflecting on all their work from this past year? They can highlight their favorite projects, assignments – anything that felt really meaningful or taught them something new. It’s the perfect way for them to look back with pride on their accomplishments.

Another sweet idea is having them write gratitude letters to people who really supported their homeschool journey this year . Could be family, tutors from co-ops or online classes, anyone who uplifted them. A little heartfelt thanks can go a long way.

Or you could have them keep a year-in-review journal ! They can document all the big events, milestones, field trips – any homeschool moments and memories they want to hold onto. Such a great keepsake for them.

Those journals could also include their goals and aspirations for homeschooling next year. Have them dream up what they’d love to focus on or any new areas they’re excited to explore. It’ll get their minds buzzing for the fall!

Speaking of planning ahead, why not have them review the curricula and resources you used ? Getting their honest feedback can really help you decide what to stick with or shake up for next year. After all, their opinions matter most!

For kids with a particular passion, let them pitch their dream passion project for summer or next year . They can outline their interests and lay out proposed activities. Could be crafting, coding, you name it! What better way to nurture their individuality?

Oh, and this one’s fun – challenge them to write persuasive myth-buster essays debunking common homeschool misconceptions or even busting some science myths or anything else they would love writing about. Using their actual experiences makes it so much more powerful.

You could also have them document any special homeschool traditions your family has developed over the year and why they’re so meaningful. It’s those cozy little rituals that make lasting memories.

So those are some of my favorite ideas! I’m already picturing kids cozied up and pouring their hearts into fun writing pieces as this school year comes to a close. Let me know what resonates most or if you need any other suggestions!

Wrapping up the year with words: why writing matters

As we wave goodbye to another school year, it’s amazing to see just how much our kids have grown—not just taller, but smarter, more skilled, and incredibly insightful. The end of the year writing prompts I’ve shared with you aren’t just for dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on another year but a chance for our students to reflect, express, and even celebrate the journey they’ve been on.

For us, the parents and educators, these pieces are like little windows into our children’s thoughts and evolving perspectives. They allow us to witness their growth firsthand and understand their experiences from their unique viewpoints.

I hope these have been useful and if you like them, please let me know in the comments so I can create more writing prompts. And I’d LOVE to hear how you are wrapping up your school year!

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I'm a homeschool mom and photographer that loves reading, traveling and writing about our homeschool adventures.

I live in Europe with my 13-year-old son who is a handful to raise and educate. He is gifted in STEM and my opposite in every way. So life is never boring for us.

I've been homeschooling for 7 years ⭐️ now and I feel I still have so much to explore and learn but at the same time, I've gathered a lot of information during these years.

I want to share my ideas and discoveries with you and I love talking to other homeschool parents and learning from them.

"We rise by lifting others" is my favorite motto. That's why I love sharing and helping whenever I can. So don't shy away from dropping me a line. I always love hearing from you 🤗

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The End of the School Year: A Time to Pause and Celebrate Successes

The walls of the classroom look emptier than they looked a month ago and a few remnants of the presence of students remain: a pencil here or a sticky note there containing a past thought. As the last student leaves the room in which you’ve built a community, many emotions can fill the empty space. The end of the school year invites an opportunity to pause and celebrate successes.  

I remember feeling an assortment of emotions in the quiet, empty space of my classroom at the end of every school year. There were feelings of uncertainty, excitement, exhaustion, joy, anxiety, peace, and relief. I was glad to finally wrap up another year and begin a well-deserved summer break, and yet a lingering sadness filled my thoughts as I remembered each student, the community we had built, the successes, and the challenges.

As this school year comes to a close, it is important to acknowledge all the feelings that come with such a transition. They provide natural opportunities to pause and to acknowledge and celebrate successes.

The Importance of Pausing

As teachers, we are constantly handling multiple tasks simultaneously. As the end of the year nears, we’re supporting students as they reflect on their accomplishments. We’re helping to guide the completion of culminating projects. We’re providing students with the learning and skills they need to prepare for final assessments, and planning and engaging in end-of-the-year celebrations. The rigorous pace and many tasks of the final weeks of school can feel daunting and can create feelings of urgency. With everything that’s going on, it’s difficult to remember to pause so that we can refocus and regain balance. Taking the time to pause creates an opportunity to hit the reset button in our minds, to be more present, to more fully acknowledge the moments, thoughts, and emotions that are an important part of the end of the school year.

The Importance of Celebrating

During the final weeks of school , we devote time to considering and planning activities, reflections, and celebrations with students to maintain the sense of classroom community. Creating, guiding, and nurturing a community of learners through a school year is an incredible accomplishment that we can sometimes forget is also worth celebrating! We need to take the time to celebrate our own successes and connect with colleagues to support the adult community. What are some of the moments of the school year that stand out? What are some of the challenges that yielded success? Celebrating the successes of the year helps end the year on a positive note. Here are just a few ways to consider:

• Write a letter to yourself listing your top 10 successes of the school year. Before the start of the next school year, read the letter so you can be reminded of your accomplishments.
• Set aside time to connect with colleagues to celebrate the year you’ve had together.
• Gather with colleagues and fill a container with slips of paper on which each person has written their name and one success for the year. Before leaving the gathering, invite each person to take a slip of paper with someone else’s success and message that individual over the summer to acknowledge and celebrate that success with them.
• Hard Workers ( Closing Circles, page 110)
• What’s the News ( The Responsive Advisory Meeting Book, page 194)
• Headlines ( The Morning Meeting Book , page 121)

Taking time to pause for reflection as the school year winds down and celebrate the successes of the year helps ensure that you can end the year, and start your summer, in a more refreshed mental and emotional state.

Written by Jane Cofie, Responsive Classroom Program Developer

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ChatGPT for Teachers

Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, these 4 end-of-the-year writing projects are sure bets for engaging and exciting your students.

Each school year is packed with lessons, activities and memorable moments. Encouraging students to reflect on those experiences can help them end the school year strong and give you a chance to fit in one last creative writing assignment that’s purposeful and poignant.

Here are four end-of-the-year writing assignments you can try out:

Create a roller coaster

A writing assignment can help students create a metaphor for the school year’s ups and downs.

• Ask students to build or draw a roller coaster that represents what this year was like for them.
• Encourage them to get creative with materials and colors to represent different emotions and specific moments.
• Have them write a personal essay or brief statement describing the specific meaning of each aspect of their roller coaster.

This activity helps students visualize their journey from the beginning of the school year to now, recognizing their struggles and accomplishments. Having time to share can also open up a meaningful class discussion about getting through difficult times, trying to learn from mistakes and understanding how a year’s worth of emotions and experiences help shape us.

Make an advice-filled music video

This is a new take on the classic “write a letter to the next class” assignment.

• Organize your students into small groups.
• Have each group choose a song and rewrite its lyrics to give advice to the next class.
• Guide each group in planning their music video and recording it.
• Share the videos with the class, and discuss recurring themes and interesting gems of wisdom.

If some students loathe the idea of singing or rapping, have them rewrite a famous poem and record that performance in a unique way. Both approaches give students an opportunity to write, reflect, express themselves creatively, collaborate and demonstrate what they’ve learned this year.

Write a found poem using old assignments

If you’ve asked students to save certain assignments like journal entries, essays, projects, etc., then this is a fun way to use them.

• Have students lay out a variety of old assignments and tell them to circle 30 words or phrases that jump out at them. They can be words tied to memories or emotions.
• Tell them to make a list with those circled words.
• They must use all of them to create a poem that expresses how they feel about this year.

It’s also fun to have them actually cut the words out of those assignments to create a collage effect, but this might be difficult depending on what types of old assignments they use.

To make it more challenging, require a certain number of lines in the poem, or only let them add a certain extra number of words. It’s an interesting way of connecting what they’ve done throughout the year with poetry and self-expression, and it helps them see their work and the words they choose in different ways.

Build a memory wall

This activity is less writing-intensive, but it still gives students an opportunity to look back on the year individually and as a group.

• Cover one of your classroom’s walls with butcher paper and divide it into four sections: Academics, Personal, Laughs, and Lessons Learned.
• Give students four colors of sticky notes so they write at least one sticky note for each section.
• Ask them to think back on everything they’ve learned in their classes and in life during this school year and have them write down words or phrases about those key moments or concepts learned.
• Collect all of them in four baskets and then post the notes up in each category for the class to see and discuss together.

Giving students four categories directs their thinking in different ways so they can remember the good times and the struggles. Keeping it anonymous allows them to share a bit more than they might if they had to put their name on each sticky note.

In the Academics section, specific tests or projects can be recalled fondly or with groans, but it’s nice to see what sticks with students when the year comes to a close. The Personal section might increase students’ awareness of their classmates’ feelings about the year if they see notes about personal struggles and triumphs such as losing a pet or working hard to improve bad grades.

The Laughs section can remind students of funny and enjoyable moments like field trips, contests and games. The Lessons Learned category is a great way for them to learn from each other — whether they say they’ve learned to always ask for help or to never binge watch shows online when it’s a school night.

Kara Wyman has a BA in literature and an MEd from University of California-Santa Barbara. She has worked with adolescents for a decade as a middle school and high school English teacher, the founder and director of a drama program, and a curriculum designer for high school and college courses. She works with 13- to 19-year-old students as a project manager of a nonprofit organization.

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Simple Teacher Reflections for the End of the School Year

For most of us, the school year has come to a close. This is a relentless time for educators! We’re preparing report cards, summer packets, conducting end of the year assessments, getting ready for concerts and graduations, and helping with field day. Oh, and we can’t forget packing up an entire classroom! With such a heavy workload at the end of the year, teachers often times don’t have the opportunity to reflect on how the school year went. Today we’re sharing tips to a simple teacher reflections for the end of the school year.

Why Should Teachers Reflect?

Cue the famous Maya Angelou quote: “When you know better, you do better”. By looking in the figurative rearview mirror, we’re able to learn and make adjustments for the future. This goes for both good and bad experiences. It may be tempting to focus mostly on our accomplishments, but we need to let our mistakes have a proper place in our memory as well. Following an embarrassing loss, NBA player Manu Ginobili once famously acknowledged how important it was to lose. “Winning feels good” he said, “but you don’t learn anything from it. You only learn when you lose.” As teachers we should always be learning and growing, and having simple reflections at the end of the school year are excellent for this.

How Do You Reflect?

Reflection doesn’t have to be scary! There are all kinds of ways to do it. Here are a few ideas:

• Reflection Journal: Keep a reflection journal. At the end of each day or week you can take a few moments to reflect and write down a few experiences that stood out to you.
• Video Recording : Record yourself teaching and watch it later to reflect on your teaching practices.
• Peer Review : Teachers can make a schedule and observe one another in each other’s rooms and provide feedback that way.
• Classroom Observation: Ask an administrator to observe a specific lesson and provide you with feedback.
• Student feedback: Create a form for students to complete where they rate specific criteria created by the teacher. They also should have the opportunity to provide general feedback. Make sure they know that their feedback will be anonymous.
• Positively Critique Yourself: After a lesson or unit, review with yourself how things went. Think about what engaged the students and what didn’t. Put yourself in your students’ position and ask: How would I have wanted to learn this? This can also be done (of course!) before a lesson or unit.

Sometimes when we reflect we get overwhelmed because we don’t know what to focus on. There are so many areas that need attention but we don’t know where to start. Here are identified three specific areas that will make reflecting less daunting. To find out what these areas are, keep reading below.

• Wins: Focus on the positive experiences you had this school year. Think about what went well and things you plan to continue next school year. What are most proud of?
• Challenges: Were there any difficulties that you faced this year? How did you overcome them? If you did not overcome them, how would you approach them next time?
• Growth: Most importantly: How did you grow this school year? What were your greatest areas of improvement? In what ways do you feel you made progress?

Teacher Reflections for the End of the School Year FREEBIE!

We’ve created a simple resource to guide you in your reflection. This 4-page reflection form includes a 1-page guide with questions to aid you in your reflection and two blank reflection forms. These reflection forms can be completed independently or as a group with your grade level team. On the last page of the resource when discussing wins, challenges, and growth, you can focus on yourself as a teacher, or you can focus on a specific area such a classroom management or parent communication. Click on the link below to download yours for free!

We hope the burden of reflection has been made lighter for you!! After reading this post take some time to reflect either alone or with some colleagues. Leave a comment below and let us know in which area you plan do do some reflecting!

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Meaningful Ways to End the School Year

School’s out for summer! Well, not quite. But, the thought of summer break typically stirs butterflies in both teachers’ and students’ stomachs. Those flutters of excitement are nothing to feel guilty about. We’ve worked HARD all year, and we are ready for a little…er….long-ish break! But before we close out the year, we want to feel good about how we wrap up. Ending well matters. If you’re searching for meaningful ways to end the school year, you’ve come to the right place.

At the end of the year, my goals include:

• celebrating
• collaboration
• relationships
• goal setting
• continued learning

While final exams are sometimes required, whenever possible I like to spend time leading up to the end of the year with community-building, critical thinking activities. Final exams serve a purpose for collecting summative data, forcing review, and holding students accountable, but they do little to nothing for building relationships or community. If you are not required to give final exams, you have a lot of flexibility! If you are required to give final exams, you can still choose to make your time reviewing both meaningful and engaging.

So, what are some meaningful ways to end the school year well ? Let’s take a look at some fun closure strategies specifically for ELA classes!

1. MAP YOUR YEAR

One pagers have definitely struck a chord over the past few years. When students complete them well, they are truly synthesizing what they have learned about a topic (often literature). Sketchnotes have increased in popularity for similar reasons. If you love both of these options but are looking for something that is a little more comprehensive, let me introduce you to one of my new favorites:  year mapping .

When students map their year in learning , they focus on synthesizing , making connections , asking questions , visualizing , summarizing , and evaluating their learning. Naturally, this thought process leads to goal setting for the next year. Year mapping is an amazingly powerful tool for collaboration (although it can be done individually as well). Students have a lot of voice and choice in terms of what they include on their maps and how they want to organize it.

Because students are truly in the driver’s seat after you introduce the assignment, as they work, the teacher is free to confer with individuals and groups. If students need a push, we can provide it by asking thoughtful questions and making key suggestions.

If you like this idea but want students to participate in more of a whole-group setting, try applying the same connection concept to a huge class mural (more strategic) or graffiti wall (less strategic).

The conversations students have with each other as they reflect on the course provides invaluable feedback to us, the teachers. Did they  really  get it? Did it stick? And, how can we use that information to adjust instruction moving forward?

I’ve created a time-saving resource with examples to help you get started. Grab it here!

2. CREATE A PLAYLIST

Reflection at its finest. What is better than having students reflect on their year (both personally and academically) while spiraling in grammar and writing skills they’ve learned in your course? Students love music, and all songs have meaning, so creating a playlist is relevant and engaging!

This lesson plan  generally takes a few days, and it can involve as much or as little writing as you’d like. In May, the last thing most ELA teachers want to do is hunker down behind a screen or stack of essays, grading our free time away.

That’s why I love having students create a playlist. As they make their list, we can sit with them and confer. I’ve worked with individual students as well as small groups of students to re-teach or review important concepts they are expected to use in their writing. ( Think: punctuation, sentence structure, coordinate adjectives, parts of speech ) As you work with students give them feedback on their learning. If possible, go through a simple rubric with them, and ask them to self-assess.

And…don’t forget to play the school-appropriate songs while they work!

3. GATHER FEEDBACK

I won’t lie. Asking students to complete a course evaluation at the end of the school year can be a little nerve-wracking. What if students are brutal with their feedback? 

A few may be. It can be difficult to swallow harsh feedback, but asking students for feedback on our course is imperative. I’ve always wanted to know what they thought. From their perspective, what was their experience in my class like? While some students may not provide helpful insights, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that many have.

When creating course evaluations, we can craft questions that increase the likelihood we will receive helpful feedback. For instance, instead of  What was the most frustrating part of this class?,  we can ask,  What challenged your thinking most in this class? Creating questions that are multiple choice and collecting those ideas with a Google Form can streamline the process of digesting large amounts of data.

I ask some standard questions , but I love posing creative questions as well. I want students to think, to reflect, and to be aware of the way they chose to approach learning in my class throughout the year.

4. PLAY REVIEW GAMES

When the weather is warm, and summer is approaching, we can engage students by incorporating a variety of review games in our lesson plans. Whether we use these as a spiral review, as fast-finisher activities, or with learning stations, games bring learning and laughter to life.  Games are a meaningful way to end the school year. Students are doing the thinking, but because they are engaged with interactive games, it doesn’t feel like work, and time goes by quickly!

Looking for meaningful ELA games that emphasize synthesis, collaboration, and critical thinking? Let’s consider a few options, (you can find a complete list of games I have created here )…

Word Games:   Few things make me happier than listening to students use words they’ve learned over the course of the year in conversation with friends! Games like sticky words , QR associations , and speed dating put students in the critical thinking driver’s seat.

Truth or Dare:  Whether students are reviewing key grammar concepts , using figurative language , or applying knowledge of new vocabulary , truth or dare has been a hit with many middle and high school students. Prompts naturally allow for low floor, high ceiling opportunities, which simplifies differentiation.

Dice Games:  I use dice games to have students review grammar concepts (like sentence structure, parts of speech, and punctuation). Students deepen their knowledge of grammar concepts without even realizing it, which is exactly what we’re looking for with student-led activities.

Superlatives:  Awards are not necessarily games, but they are a fun way to end the year and celebrate learning. Put a creative twist on end-of-the-year superlatives by having students give vocabulary words special awards! For example, Most Studious ? erudite , of course! Would you like a free vocabulary superlative award you can use with students today? This one is editable in Google Slides .

5. CELEBRATE READING

If your classroom is built around any form of independent reading, it’s important to celebrate progress at the end of the year. Helping students reflect on their reading volume, reading diet, reading identity, and reading stamina are wonderful ways to build community. As a class, how many books were read? How many genres did students explore?

Allow students time to make book recommendations and to reflect on their growth as a reader. Not every student reads  more books than the year before, but each year, every reader has the opportunity to set new goals. Did your students…

• try new genres this year?
• increase how long they can read in one sitting?
• grow their reading skills?
• begin recommending books to others?
• start reading in new locations?
• come to value reading as a lifelong hobby?

Activities for Celebrating Reading…

To end the school year well, there are literacy reflection points for everyone! Here are some simple, engaging activities to help students celebrate:

Reading Ladders:   I like using a visual to help students reflect on book fit. How often are students reading books that fit them well? Do they try books that challenge them? And, do they take time to sit with books that are “easy” for them? All books have value. Using a reading ladder at the end of the year provides students with an overall picture of book fit for the year.

My Year in Reading:  Have students reflect on their thinking as it relates to reading! Students enjoy writing a brief reflection, adding visuals, and evaluating a book overall.

Bookflix Bulletin Board:   Build community by asking students to help create a digital or physical classroom Bookflix display . Students enjoy this popular reference to the hit streaming service, Netflix.  Not only do students have ownership and voice in creating this class display, but also next year’s class gets to start off with some book recommendations from their predecessors!

Classroom Bookshelf (digital and print):   One of the easiest ways for students to make book recommendations virtually is through a classroom bookshelf. They can take Instagram style photos and add what they just finished, what they are currently reading, and what’s up next in their “to read” stack.

You can find all of these bookish activities for community building, reflecting, and future reading in this creative alternatives to the reading log bundle .

6. CELEBRATE WRITING

Too often, writing takes a back seat during celebratory discussions in our classrooms. Even though writing is often hard work for both teacher and students, we can create positive associations with the experience by reflecting on and discussing the progress we’ve made over the course of a year.

Reflective Portfolios

Because most writing is digital now, students should be able to locate their compositions from the school year. Ask them to compile all of their work into a digital portfolio. There are so many ways to do this! For instance, students can create a portfolio cover and table of contents page in Google Slides. Then, they can link each of their writing samples to their titles on the table of contents.

Ask students to identify specific skills they worked on with each piece.

• With this essay, I really began to understand what it means to say the writing process is recursive.
• When I made this infographic, I learned how author’s purpose impacts text structure.
• Writing this poem encouraged me to think strategically about punctuation.
• My personal memoir, I learned to show instead of tell.

I’ve created a basic writing portfolio template you can use to get started.

Gallery Walks

For a less formal approach, put prompts around the room on big paper. Prompts should include a big thinking question and a writing skill. For example…

• Write about some specific ways our classroom became a community of learners and friends this school year. Include and annotate one of the comma rules you learned.
• Explore one of the challenges our world is currently overcoming this school year in one sentence. Annotate the sentence structure of your response.
• Compose a question that represents your curiosity about something you learned in our course this year. What more do you want to learn? In your answer, highlight a verbal.

Have students work in pairs, rotating around to each prompt and adding their thinking to the paper. As they do, they can also respond to peers’ comments. It’s simple to extend thinking by using underlines, stars, and thought bubbles.

7. JIGSAW DISCUSSIONS

If you want to emphasize discussion and student-led review, the jigsaw strategy is extremely powerful. Hattie lists jigsaw discussions as one of the teaching strategies that (when implemented successfully) can have the greatest impact on student learning over time.

With jigsaw discussions, students first form “expert” groups in which they take a deep dive into one topic of learning. With the other members of this expert group, students ask hard questions, review important takeaways from direct instructions, and further their understanding with research. Teachers often take time to sit with each expert group to coach them through their thinking.

When the expert groups have exhausted their topic, they prepare a short “lesson” they can take away from their group and use to teach their peers. Students in the expert group often practice this lesson with one another, talking through any visuals and activities they create to ensure they are all on the same page.

Then, it’s time to jigsaw! Expert groups split up, and new groups form. Let’s say you started with five expert groups, which each contained five students. The second group would then consist of five NEW groups. Each of them would have an expert from a different topic. And, they would proceed to teach one another!

Topics to Discuss

How could we end the school year well without discussions? But, there are SO MANY WAYS we can ask students to discuss. Jigsaws are a strategy I don’t typically use until students have a semi-solid grasp on the topic of study, which makes the end of the year an opportune time!

In order to get started with jigsaw discussions, you just have to start using them! No doubt, the first time through, you may find they don’t go as smoothly as you had hoped. Well-run jigsaws take some finessing. Selecting the best topics for jigsawing is part of the learning process. Here are some ideas…

• Grammar concepts (types of phrases, types of sentences, types of punctuation)
• Figurative language
• Modes of writing
• Writing skills
• Parts of the writing process
• Reading skills
• Elements of plot

Jigsawing chapters of a book is not usually effective, but focusing on specific skills or standards as they relate to literature can be powerful.

And, after students take turns teaching one another in their second groups, you can come together as a whole class to discuss how each of the jigsaw topics relates to the others!

You can read this post for twelve additional discussion formats that allow for discussion, community building, and conversation. Think gallery walks and musical debates!

Most importantly, when we plan how to end the school year, it matters what we do with students’ responses to these activities. Planning meaningful end-of-the-year lessons involves intentionally creating opportunities for students to reflect and collaborate but also for us to use what they create to continue growing in our practice.

These are great tips! I think a lot of these activities could even be modified for a high school classroom. I love the idea of student feedback. Even if they are brutal, they can only make you a better teacher! It makes me wonder, what is the most useful thing a student has ever said to you in feedback?

Thanks so much for reading! Such a GREAT QUESTION! Honestly, this is really hard for me to answer because every time I ask students for feedback, I get at least one suggestion that changes my teaching for the better.

To be transparent, I would say the most powerful feedback I’ve received from students has been in reading some of the harder-to-digest comments about how certain assignments stressed them out or seemed like busy work. Those comments have forced me to reflect on the true purpose for the assignment. Was it helping me to get to know them better as learners or just for accountability?

More often than not, when students find an assignment stressful, it’s because I haven’t done a great job of teaching them the skills they need or because the assignment was summative in nature, and students really needed more of my formative feedback and the opportunity to practice first.

Many times, the most valuable feedback has led me to include students more in the instructional creation and assessment process…giving them a larger voice. I hope that makes sense!

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

The School Year Has Ended. What Are Some Lessons to Close Out Next Year?

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During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is Best Ways to End the School Year. I know the topic is a bit early—or late. However, it will be here for future reference!

You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

1. Nine Ways to End This Crazy School Year Strong

Eight educators share nine activities that can be used to close this COVID-19-interrupted year, including reflecting back on the year and looking ahead to see how it will be viewed in the future. Read more.

2. End the Year With Moments ‘Students Will Remember’

Pernille Ripp, Alfonso Gonzalez, Jeremy Adams, Roxanna Elden, Ann Mausbach, Kim Morrison, Michael Haggen, and Maia Heyck-Merlin contribute their ideas on how to end the school year well. Read more.

3. Ways to Use Class Time During the Last Two Weeks of School

This post offers suggestions from two exceptional teacher authors: Roxanna Elden and Donalyn Miller. Read more.

4. Ideas for the Last Two Weeks of School—Part Two

This piece includes responses from three great educators: Chris Wejr, Alice Mercer, and Bill Ivey. Read more.

Explore other thematic posts:

• It Was Another Busy School Year. What Resonated for You?
• How to Best Address Race and Racism in the Classroom
• Schools Just Let Out, But What Are the Best Ways to Begin the Coming Year
• Classroom Management Starts With Student Engagement
• Teacher Takeaways From the Pandemic: What Worked? What Didn’t?

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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