Blog

Six Secrets to Success and Sanity in the Final Weeks

The end of another year is only a few weeks away. Until then, we may have complete and detailed plans for all that we want to accomplish. Yet, much of what will actually happen in the coming days will compete with and even disrupt what we have imagined. We will also feel the added pressure and stress to finish instruction, wrap up learning, and finalize other tasks and projects. Ultimately, the time we have left will likely not be enough to do all that we would like.

The challenge we face is to successfully wrap up the year without feeling as though we are losing control or becoming overwhelmed with frustration and stress. As we anticipate the coming days and weeks, here are six proven strategies to make our work more manageable and our experience more enjoyable. They can help us to find success without losing our sanity. As we think about these strategies, we might consider the safety instructions we receive when beginning a flight: we must put on our own oxygen mask before we can help others to do the same. In this metaphor, the “flight” is, of course, a symbol of our approach to the finish line.

Set boundaries and create space. Despite the inevitable stress and competing expectations, finding time to do things we enjoy, making memories with family and friends, exercising, and just relaxing are important to being our best selves. If we are stressed and exhausted, we will not do our best work.

Support and rely on colleagues. Trying to manage and complete everything that must be done by ourselves can be overwhelming. Collaborating on projects, sharing resources, and stepping up to help each other can make a huge difference. Beyond sharing the load, feeling support, and sharing ideas, working with others can lower our stress and increase our sense of connectedness.

Focus on what really matters. We need to be realistic. The amount of time available is limited, while the number of potential tasks and activities lists are likely to be long. We might consider what we can let go of or postpone. Not every meeting must be held, not every deadline must be firm, and not every expectation must be met.

Look for small wins. It might be tempting to focus on what might go wrong. We can balance this pressure by focusing on small wins to keep us positive and optimistic. We might reach out to a student with whom we have found it difficult to connect, or we may help a struggling student across the finish line. We might complete a project or perfect a skill with which we have wrestled for some time. The key is to recognize that despite what may feel like chaos, we are still making a difference.

Be flexible and adapt. We know that not everything will go as planned. There will be surprises and disruptions, and communication will not always be timely and complete. Expecting perfection only adds to our stress. Choosing to “go with the flow,” stay loose, and expect the unexpected can reduce our frustration and help us to maintain our balance as we approach the end.

Reflect, celebrate, and be present. We, our colleagues, and our students have come a long way. We have faced a myriad of challenges and experienced many accomplishments, and we have all learned and matured. Hopefully, we have also collaborated and grown as we engaged with our colleagues. Now is the time to reflect on what has happened and celebrate what has been accomplished. We also need to allow ourselves to be fully present, appreciate the moment, and experience the sense of completion that the end of the year offers.

This is a special time of the year. There is much to celebrate, but we can become caught up in the tasks, projects, and challenges that distract us from the big picture and undermine our appreciation of what has been accomplished. Taking time for ourselves, setting reasonable expectations, remaining flexible, supporting each other, and celebrating all that has been achieved can help us to end the year with pride, joy, and satisfaction.

April 25, 2024

Tap Cognitive Science to Keep Students Learning in the Final Weeks

As we near the final weeks of the school year, we might struggle to have students remain engaged in their learning. Yet, the time we have with students at this point in the year can be exceptionally rich—if they remain focused and challenged. We know our students; we have built relationships and established trust. Some of the best learning of the year should happen now. Further, if students remain focused and engaged, we can avoid many behavior challenges and distractions that often accompany this time of the year.

Fortunately, there are several strategies based in cognitive science upon which we can draw to maintain momentum and stimulate continued learning. Here are six strategies to consider and tap.

Coming attraction: What now? Often referred to as “priming questions,” we can capture students’ attention with questions that preview new learning and pique their curiosity. As examples: “How can knowing fractions help you to become rich?” Or “How can listening become a personal superpower?” The questions can also be used to define the purpose of new learning. The answer to the question becomes something to actively discover rather than information to be passively received. Questions can also be more interesting than a learning goal statement. The questions become even more useful when we pause instruction periodically and invite students to describe their evolving knowledge and understanding of the question and what it means.

Confounding: What’s this? We can break up routines by adding mystery, conflict, novelty, and surprise to capture attention, generate excitement, and pique curiosity. As examples, we might provide just enough information on a topic to pique students’ interests. We can offer a short overview without sharing too much. We might invite students to speculate, question, and imagine. We might surprise students with the arrival of an unannounced visitor with a problem or mystery for the class to solve. We might unveil a picture that invites discussion or investigation. We can allow students to “light the path” to discovery as we respond strategically to their interest, curiosity, and growing understanding.

Connecting: What’s new; what’s old? After we have introduced a new piece of content or skill and students have grasped the essentials, we can challenge them to connect their new learning to what they have already learned. For example, we might have students form small groups to discuss connections with past learning. We can provide them with a resource packet to assist their efforts. For example, we might share a syllabus, a description of past learning standards, past assignments and assessments, and other related items. After revisiting their learning and discussing connections, groups can report the connections they have identified. Meanwhile, we can monitor what may be missing and may require reteaching. Not only will students make important connections, but we will also be stimulating and extending their recall of past learning.

Consolidating: Can you teach it? One of the most effective ways to ensure students learn and retain new content is to have them teach each other. Students might be allowed to choose what aspect of new learning they would like to teach. Their instruction might be to small groups or the entire class, depending on variables such as the time available and the topics to be taught. Teaching others what they have learned generates greater purpose for learning, more focused attention, more authentic responsibility, and increased integration of what has been learned.

Contemplating: What’s your question? Having students generate questions about what they have learned is a great way to increase comprehension, consolidate learning, and extend recall. Consider having students submit questions for possible inclusion on a future learning assessment. Of course, we may need to teach how to frame a good question, including how to encourage depth of response and elaboration. While it may not be realistic to include all the questions students submit, we might commit to a set number of questions from those submitted. Beyond the learning benefits of forming assessment questions, students are often eager to respond to what they and other students have submitted.

Collecting: What do you recall? We might periodically select content that we want students to solidify in their memories. Called retrieval practice, this activity has students list everything they can recall regarding a concept, skill, or topic they studied. Students might make a list, create a mind map, or verbally discuss what they can remember. We can invite students to fill in each other’s recollection gaps. Multiple studies have shown retrieval practice to be exceptionally effective in building long-term memory and improving recall.

The final weeks of the school year can be a time of disruption and distraction—but they can also be a prime time for learning. It is a good time to tap what cognitive science has to offer to support our efforts and our students’ growth.

April 03, 2024

The Master Teacher Blog

Six Secrets to Success and Sanity in the Final Weeks

Tap Cognitive Science to Keep Students Learning in the Final Weeks

Quick Links

Customer Service