3 Must-Try End of Year Teacher Tips to Finish the School Year

The last few weeks of school are a special kind of wild. You’ve got field trips, countdowns, assessments, end-of-year parties, and at least one mystery smell coming from a cubby that no one wants to claim. And let’s not even talk about behavior. The kids know the end is near, and their self-control clock seems to have completely stopped ticking. But even in the midst of this glorious end-of-year madness, you can find your footing. You can keep your classroom calm(ish), routines running, and kids engaged, all without losing your voice or your sanity. So here’s a little teacher-to-teacher chat: three must-try, end of year teacher tips to help you finish the school year strong… and maybe even smiling.

1. Keep the Routines-Tweak the Content

This may be one of the most important end of year teacher tips and here’s the thing: kids thrive on structure. But by May or June, they are over it when it comes to anything that feels like more “school.” They want fun. They want something different. But they still need routine.

The trick? Keep the bones of your day the same, but shake up what happens inside those time blocks. If you always do centers after morning meeting, keep that schedule. But turn your end of year centers into themes like summer writing prompts, math board games, or memory book pages.

End of Year Teacher Tip: One week, I turned our entire ELA block into “Author Hour,” where students created picture books about their year in Kindergarten. Same schedule, totally new vibe. Behavior? Instantly better.

2. Behavior Charts with a Twist

By now, the sticker charts, token boards, and marble jars might be losing their sparkle. The end of the year brings out ALL the big emotions, and students need a behavior plan that feels fresh and gives them ownership.

Try creating “Countdown Cards” or “Summer Stars”: Each student gets a simple card with a few stars to color in each day for showing kindness, helping a friend, following directions, etc. When they finish their card, they get a simple reward, like eating lunch with the teacher or picking the read-aloud.

Bonus: It gives you a low-effort, high-impact way to bring attention to the positive behaviors without feeling like you’re constantly redirecting the chaos.

End of Year Teacher Tip: For my more impulsive kiddos, I added a “Mystery Motivator,” a small envelope on their desk that I filled with a surprise goal or reward each morning. They loved the mystery, and it kept them on track just long enough to get through the day.

3. Calm Corners, Cool-Downs, and All the Emotional Check-Ins

The last month of school is packed with emotions—excitement, anxiety, sadness, and overstimulation from a million cupcakes. Even the best-behaved kids start to feel the pressure of change, and some behaviors come from nerves, not defiance.

That’s why I always double down on social-emotional routines in May and June. Morning check-ins, brain breaks, and quiet corners become non-negotiables. I give students time to color, listen to calming music, or even journal about their feelings (yes—even 5-year-olds have feelings about leaving Kindergarten).

Set up a “Chill Zone” or a “Calm Corner” with a pillow, a timer, and a feelings journal or activities. Sometimes, what looks like “acting out” is really just a student needing a breather from the noise.

End of Year Teacher Tip: We created “Goodbye Letters” where kids wrote (or dictated) a note to our classroom or a favorite friend, saying goodbye and sharing what they’ll miss. It helped so much with closure and those tricky transition behaviors.

You’re Closer Than You Think

I know it feels like the finish line is forever away, but you’re almost there. The classroom might be louder, the days hotter, and your to-do list longer, but the work you’ve done all year is still holding strong underneath it all.

These final weeks can still be meaningful and with these end of year teacher tips, you can still have fun. You can still keep your sanity intact (mostly). With a little structure, a few fresh strategies, and a whole lot of grace, for your students and yourself. You can finish strong and start summer without collapsing on the floor.

You’ve got this. And if today was a disaster? Try again tomorrow. Summer is coming.