Hurray! The end of the school year is here! Time to pull out all the fun end of year activities!
The end of the school year can bring so many feelings for teachers and students alike. For example, many students will look like the picture above, running out those school doors as fast as they can! However, make sure to pay close attention to the students who are feeling anxious and sad about the end of the school year. I’m going to share with you a way to help ease those feelings of anxiety and nervousness with those students.
The end of the school year brings anxiety
As the end of the school year approaches, do you notice some students begin to feel very anxious about the next school year? A lot changes once the school year is over. Students have to say goodbye to their peers and to their teacher who they have come to know and love over the past nine months. Then, once summer is over they are back to school, meeting new kids, learning new rules, expectations, and content, while also getting to know their teacher. It can be a lot on your students.
Imagine alleviating some of that stress and anxiety
Of course, as their teacher you want to take away that anxiety and stress. To do so, you can host end of year interviews with the grade level above you. So, if you are in first grade, you can have your students interview second graders.
In the interview, your students will learn about one of the second grade teachers and also find out what to expect in second grade. Where did they go on a field trip? What was the funnest science experiment? When do they eat lunch? Do they have one recess or two?
Knowing some answers to things that will be different will help them feel more prepared about the next school year.
Using interviews to help take away anxiety about the next school year
I have found that taking my students to interview second graders has proven really helpful. Whenever we regroup after our interview, they are all really excited to share what their buddy told them about second grade.
This resource includes everything you would need to interview the students in the next grade level, as well as practice pages, a reader’s theater, anchor charts, and more! It is available for kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade! Click the links below to find the end-of-year interviews.
You can download a free sample of the interview questions by leaving your email below!
Related Post: 5 Things Teachers Can Do This Summer
