In this episode of The Education Connection, I’m sharing how I survive the last week of school in first grade while still keeping students engaged, calm, and learning. If you are looking for last week of school tips for elementary teachers, simple end of year classroom ideas, or ways to keep structure during the final week of school, this episode is for you.

I talk about why I keep our classroom schedule as normal as possible during the last week of school, how I use gentle spiral review in reading and math, and how I turn memory books into meaningful reading and writing activities instead of just filler time. We’ll also talk about keeping students emotionally regulated during the excitement of the end of the school year and why teachers do not need Pinterest-perfect plans  ...