The Problem:

Keeping your students engaged on the last day of your secondary math class.  Students are super excited to be done with school, but you have them in-class for one more period. How do you make the most of it as a middle school math teacher?

Last Day: What NOT To Do

Don't just try to "wing it", meaning, trying to get through the class period without a plan.   I'll admit there were days during each school year that I had to "wing it" because my original plans fell through, and I actually got through the day pretty well.  However, doing this on the last day of school does not work.  Your students, especially if they are middle school students or beyond, will already be full of energy, and if the teacher doesn't have a plan, the students will take over. 😨

Ditch the Busy Work

The other activity that I do NOT recommend is a bunch of work that you are going to have to grade.  Big tests and loads of worksheets may keep them busy and quiet, but what teacher wants to be stuck with a handful of papers to grade on the very last day of school?  I would recommend doing these items on the last week of school, but not on the last day.  Give yourself some time to grade the work before the last day.  That way you can still give feedback to your students and you are not left with a stack of work.  

Low-Stress Activities

Now I would like to share two activities that I started doing on the last day.  The students have loved these and they are low-stress for both students and teacher.  

Dear Future Student:

The first activity is a letter.  I have my students write a letter to my future students.  I have them write what they think the students should know so they can be successful in my class.  These are fun to read, and they are actually really helpful for my next year's students.  I always proofread them first, but at the beginning of the next school year I hand them out to students to read.  They love reading them, and they tend trust their peers more doing their teenage years, so it works out great.

Fun Review Game (No Prep)

The second activity I do is a fun review game.  I have always done this in groups of 3-4 students, though it certainly could be done in pairs or individually.  I hand out the following paper. 

I then give the students 5 minutes to fill in each box with a term or concept that they have learned this year.  Each word must start with the letter in the box.  After 5 minutes, the students take turns sharing their answers and scoring their grid.  They receive one point for each box they filled if and only if nobody else had their same word.  The students have really enjoyed this activity, and it's a great way for them to review concepts that we have learned throughout the year. I have attached a link to the pdf document so you can download and use in your classroom.

Last Day Review Game Document

Congratulations on another successful year of teaching!

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Save these tips and ideas to your favorite classroom Pinterest board. Come back and reference them for ideas on how to survive the last day of teaching middle school math.

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Michelle Sigaran

You did it...almost.

You taught everything outlined in the curriculum for the end of year test...and your students nailed it.  Problem is, however, there are three weeks of school left, now what?  I stressed about this every single year. I tried different things every single year.  Here are some strategies and ideas to keep you sane. 

STRATEGIES

Routines.

This is probably the most important.  The last thing you want to do is make the class feel different to the students.  Not sticking to the routines you have established will result in students not knowing what to do, therefore they start acting out.  Treat every day like another day at school. 

Expectations.

This goes along with number one.  Don't let your expectations slide, students will pick up on it and take advantage.  Expect that they continue to try their best.  Expect them to complete their work. Expect quality work from them every single time. 

Keep Your Students Thinking.

I know you're tired, and I know your students are tired...but it's not over yet.  Do not assign busy work to your students.  Busy work is work that doesn't require much thought.  Your students will get bored and may perceive the work as unimportant.  Once the kids do not see the work as important...you're toast.

IDEAS

Just Keep On Teaching.

Some years I created my own end of year test that was given not three weeks before school was out, but with only a few days left.  I continued teaching, connecting, and reviewing their math up until MY end of year test, not the state test.  Giving it just a few days before school was out was just enough time to correct it, and review it with the students.  

Cumulative Project.

A cumulative project in math would be a large project that ties in many concepts that your students learned during the year.  The great thing about cumulative projects is that students will be able to see how many of the math concepts intertwine and are used in the real-world.  May I suggest, however, that the project is planned out very well.  Know what your students will be doing every single day for the project.  When I did this, I feel like that is where I failed.  I had a cumulative project planned, and I gave specific dates for when they needed to have certain parts of the project completed, however, it was not planned daily.  The problem I encountered is that students were "enjoying" the end of the year, and then procrastinated the work time. So it was like a handful of days where they weren't working much, and a few days where it was like chaos, because they were all trying to get done on time.  So if you go this route, just make sure that every day has a specific task that needs to be complete.

Smaller Real-Life Tasks. 

This is where I have felt the most successful with the end of year.  Real-life tasks also combine concepts that students have learned throughout the year.  However, they are not as large as the cumulative project.  They are real-life tasks that can be completed in one or two class periods.  Tasks such as budgeting, planning a trip, designing a scale model, etc...  They are engaging, yet not overwhelming. If you need help coming up with some end of year tasks  

Save This Article

Save these tips and ideas to your favorite classroom Pinterest board. Come back and reference them for ideas on what to do in your secondary math classroom after the state test is over. 

Read more »

Michelle Sigaran