End Of The School Year "Angst"?

In my more recent interactions with educators, I am reminded of the “angst” that this time of year brings to teachers and administrators alike.  As the anticipation of the end of another school year mounts, the level of excitement and enthusiasm for the promise of summer escalates.  At the same time, teachers are getting weary and students are getting “squirrely.”  It is “the perfect storm” and the chance of students making poor (and sometimes brainless) choices seems to be inevitable.   As a teacher and guidance counselor in Christian schools for over 20 years, I remember praying (increasingly in the spring semester) that God would give us a calm and peaceful end to the school year.  Sometimes we would be blessed with peace, and other times, not so much! 

In the spirit of ministering to your heightened blood pressure and feelings of  “losing it,” I’d like to offer some strategies for you to regain control of the challenges of your environment.

1      Go back to the basics.

Review with your students the agreed upon definitions of acceptable behavior and review the processes of “your space. “ A lot of time is spent on these things at the beginning of the school year, but it all seems to be forgotten as the end of the school year draws near.

2      Leverage the healthy bonds and relationships that you have been building with your students all year.

Remember, your students want to please you!  Remind them often of what that looks like…

3      Send a constant stream of unambiguous signals to students about their roles & responsibilities…don’t let up!

Some schools (classroom teachers) allow individuals to decide their own “definition of the situation.”  In other words, students are given the freedom to determine for themselves what the organization is about and how individuals should act in it.  Effective schools (classrooms), however, suggest a clear, common “definition of the situation” defining, modeling and communicating the desired culture (for all constituents) relentlessly!

4      Keep the BIG PICTURE in mind…you are an educator because you love kids and want to see their full potential realized!