It's that time of year...the end. The dog day's of teaching. This is that time of year where teachers answer the question, what are we doing here? And what should I do with my students? Hopefully, some of the good teachers are asking? What worked? What will my students remember?
Here are two good ideas for the end of the year.
1. The highs and lows.
Have each student construct a chart. On the y axis a student should place an H and an L. This will stand for High and Low. On the X axis the students should place M1, M2, M3, M4 for each of the four marking periods( this may change based on your school). Then have your students place a high and a low for every marking period. Eventually on giant sticky notes, the students will combine these highs and lows. Eventually each student will share. This is a great time to reflect on what students found worth while.
2. ABC's of the year
Have the students come up with a word or phrase for every letter of the alphabet. For example, the M might stand for Metaphor. After this is completed, do a rapid fire around the room. With each student saying there words or phrases.
Each of these are short and quick but are very effective. This is a great reflective activity for the students and the teachers. I've done these with every grade 7-12 with great success. Obviously these can be easily modified to fit the needs of your students.
This is a much better use of your time then showing another movie...I promise.
