14 Excellent Ways to End the School Year

2026-05-12

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The end of the school year can feel like the best––and worst––of times. On the one hand, it’s a great stretch because “the routines and procedures are set,” and the kids have their sights set on summer vacation, says Kansas City-based middle school ELA teacher Jeremiah Kim. But the workload for teachers closing out the year can be intense. “We all just want to be done, but we still have these boxes to check,” he says. In this episode of School of Practice, Kim joins host Kristin Leong to explore a toolkit of low-lift, delig...

The end of the school year can feel like the best––and worst––of times.

On the one hand, it’s a great stretch because “the routines and procedures are set,” and the kids have their sights set on summer vacation, says Kansas City-based middle school ELA teacher Jeremiah Kim. But the workload for teachers closing out the year can be intense. “We all just want to be done, but we still have these boxes to check,” he says.

In this episode of School of Practice, Kim joins host Kristin Leong to explore a toolkit of low-lift, delightful, teacher-tested activities that inject celebration, meaningful reflection, and even some review into the last few weeks of class.

Hang in there, teachers, summer break is just around the corner!

Related resources:

Learn more about this episode
19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities
Wrapping Up the School Year in English Language Arts
Meaningful Learning to End the Year Strong
Finishing Strong in Elementary School
4 Meaningful Activities to Mark the End of School
How to Celebrate the End of the Year in Elementary School
8 Epic Ideas for Ending the School Year
Research: Reappraising Academic and Social Adversity Improves Middle School Students’ Academic Achievement, Behavior, and Well-Being

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