“I love the flowers. I love the budding trees. I love the chirping birds. I love the buzzing bees. I love the Springtime, When the sun is warm and bright. Boom de-a-da, Boom de-a-da, Boom de-a-da, Boom Boom.”
Oh, such a great reminder of what Springtime means to all of those outside of education. But, for those of us in education, Springtime means standardized tests, last minute crunch time, averaging grades, final class projects, collecting textbooks, averaging grades, collecting overdue fees, class trips, averaging grades, course selection, final exams, averaging grades, cleaning up the classroom, preparing for next year, and—oh yeah, did I mention—averaging grades.
I can still remember the end of my first year in the classroom. While I was administering my final exams, I was still grading final projects and the chapter test from the previous day and the homework assignment from last week . . . and final senior grades had to be entered into the main system within 30 minutes of the exam end time so the graduation list could be generated! I thought we were supposed to teach until the last possible moment, and, of course, classroom parties are unacceptable in high school—students are to be challenged academically up until the moment the exam is administered!
I am not sure if I was naïve or just dedicated. I did not want to be known as an “easy” teacher for slacking off the last few days of the year. Yet I could not figure out how I was expected to get all my papers, projects and exams graded and averaged and entered into the computer, then have my books tallied, supplies returned to the appropriate place, and my room clean. And to have it all done by 11:00 a.m. on the only teacher work day after the students left so I could attend the mandatory luncheon to receive my summer paychecks! I did manage to get it all done—I had no choice, I needed my paychecks—but sleep did not come to me at all that last school day . . .maybe that’s why we get the summer off!
So, here I am, 10 years more experienced and have devised the following short “Guide to Surviving Springtime in Education”.
1. High stakes tests are here to stay. The more sleepless nights a teacher suffers does not directly, or indirectly, change a student’s chance of success . . .nor will sleepless nights miraculously improve scores prior to being released. Teachers are professionals and have prepared the students the best they can. Likewise, they are not the only influence in their students’ lives, and, therefore, must relinquish some of the responsibility for their students’ success (or lack thereof).
2. The last marking period carries the highest accountability. Yes, I agree, the earlier part of the year can have a huge impact on college choices and scholarships, but those aren’t the students I am talking about here. I am talking about the student who is barely getting by and needs at least a “C” on the final class project to graduate. Unfortunately, because of the due date, this student will not find out he or she failed until Grandma has already paid the $350 for the plane ticket to attend graduation and is eating peanuts courtesy of Delta. Solution: make deadlines for large projects early enough to inform students and parents of any foreseen problems. It is much easier to call a parent a month before graduation to say “Because your child did poorly on this large project, if he or she does not do x, y, z, he or she will fail” than to call a parent the night before graduation and say “your child was passing with a “C” until he or she did poorly on this large project and is now failing—better luck next year.” Besides, students deserve to have us relaxed and fresh when grading large projects, not frustrated and rushed. My students are given a grade update every week during the last marking period . . .there will be no surprises!
3. Start the end of year closeout NOW!!! Have students return books early and use handouts the last week or two. Waiting until the last day makes record keeping more difficult and doesn’t allow the forgetful children the extra time they need to find the book in order to return it! Have the highest “A” students help clean up the classroom. Students love to take down posters, throw away old projects, clean up closets, and even dust! Offer a few points extra credit . . . some teachers say this is unfair, but if you have the highest level students help, the extra credit really doesn’t make a difference anyway!
4. Have final grades averaged at least two days before course exams. This allows students to know how well they must do on the exam and allows plenty of time to study. It also allows the teacher no distractions during exam review so he/she can be more helpful in the preparation for the exam. The focus needs to be on closure of the course, not on frenzied last minute grades. Many colleges have even begun to offer a short break between final classes and exam week.
5. Lastly, and most importantly, have fun! How do you want your students to remember you? As an uptight, unorganized, stressed out, uncaring teacher? Having fun at the end of the school year doesn’t have to mean you are the “easy” teacher who just has parties everyday, it could mean you are the creative and energetic teacher who is still enjoying this group of students after 160 or 170 days of school! In math, make the last test review a team competition. In English, allow students to complete their last writing assignment sitting under the tree in front of the school. In history, instead of creating a timeline of events, partner the students and have them act out one event that occurred during that time. Use the internet to find tons of simple ideas that will help Springtime be enjoyable again!
So, for educators, here’s my reminder of Springtime . . .
“I love the high-stakes tests. I love to clean my room. I love the projects. Summer break is coming soon. I love to collect books and grade all the exams they took. Summer paycheck, summer paycheck, summer paycheck—see you soon!
Best wishes and Happy Teaching!
