{"id":28389,"date":"2022-12-01T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/?p=28389"},"modified":"2025-11-25T02:26:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T02:26:00","slug":"9-end-of-year-teaching-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/cospedia\/9-end-of-year-teaching-ideas","title":{"rendered":"9 End of School Year Teaching Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The <\/span>end of the school year<\/span> can be a tricky time for teaching. There is the natural tendency to relax competing with the need to continue to provide work that is intellectually stimulating, all while organising end of year events and activities that ensure students will have positive memories of their time as part of your cohort.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

For high school teachers with multiple groups of students, end-of-year events\u00a0aren\u2019t such a big focus, but for primary school teachers with one class, or those in remote schools, these activities help to cement the (hopefully strong) bond you\u2019ve developed over the course of the year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Things to do at the end of the school year \u200b<\/h2>

Only relatively recently have we started to <\/span>place such importance on the social aspect of schooling. <\/span>For its own sake, a rich social life is desirable, but the concepts of <\/span>teamwork and cooperation are increasingly prized in the workplace as part of a set of <\/span><\/span>softskills<\/span><\/span>. <\/span>When most individual academic milestones have been reached, the end of the year is the perfect time to <\/span>encourage students to work together, developing social skills through enjoyable activities that allow them to end the academic year on a high note.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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End of year activities<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The activities below are staples that can be adjusted to pretty much any age group. They form the basis upon which <\/span>educato<\/span>rs <\/span>are able to<\/span> exercise their <\/span><\/span>teaching strategies<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>creativity<\/span>,<\/span> and knowledge of their specific class\u2019s d<\/span>ynamics.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Scavenger hunt\u200b<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A scavenger hunt<\/span> can be <\/span>modified<\/span> for different cohorts and<\/span>\u00a0run<\/span> either in the classroom, in the school hall, or<\/span> outdoors on the school grounds. While there are <\/span>scavenger hunt <\/span>templates you can download from the internet, <\/span>best results are found when <\/span>a teacher <\/span>inserts<\/span> some elements that are linked to things students learned throughout the year.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Write a summary of the year<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Best done in the final days, students can compose a text on what they<\/span> have<\/span> learnt, reflecting on any lessons or bits of information that stuck out to them. No two students\u2019 recollections will be the same, <\/span>meanin<\/span>g it can be worthwhile providing a forum where learners can share their experiences and highlights.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Organise an end of year celebration<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While many teachers may wince at<\/span> the work involved in bringing<\/span> this idea<\/span> to life<\/span>, <\/span>making it a whole class approach can be a very worthwhile activity. As students help<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with planning and <\/span>organisation<\/span>, the development of whole new skill sets is encouraged<\/span>, including the ability to debate, compromise, and <\/span>work to defined deadlines \u2014all of which are prized in the world of work.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Hold a class awards ceremony<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A class awards ceremony can be great fun<\/span>, taking the structure of something official but conducting it in a more relaxed, informal atmosphere. Students can write awards for each other, de<\/span>sign their own certificates, while the teacher can show what they value in each member of their class.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Create a fun quiz<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Like the other activities, quizzes can be adapted by the teacher to suit the class. Multimedia can be inc<\/span>orporated into the questions, and fun challenges\u00a0conducted for extra points. In the end, <\/span>rather than competition, <\/span>bonding as a team should be the goal.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Get your students to rate your performance <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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According to the English proverb, <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>O<\/span>nly children and fools tell the truth<\/span>.\u201d For th<\/span>at<\/span> very reason, conducting a task <\/span>like<\/span> this can be difficu<\/span>lt, but you are likely to get quality feedback that <\/span>helps<\/span>\u00a0you improve your <\/span><\/span>teaching<\/span><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In addition, students will feel valued and respected\u2014<\/span>a must in any learning environment\u2014<\/span>due to the fact that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>you are seeking their opinion<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Hold a Board Game Session<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Negotiation, cooperation, fine motor skills, board games have it all. Holding a session with different board games can be a lot of fun while giving students the chance to encounter games they have never played before. The teacher can supply the board games and\/or ask students to bring in their favourites from home.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Create a classroom art gallery <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A chance for students to show off their artistic side, this can be incorporated into a series of lessons looking at some of the famous galleries and learning subject-specific vocabulary. St<\/span>udents can even invite other classes to come along by mocking up some invitations.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Organise an activity morning<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On the last day, teachers can create a morning full of small <\/span>activities<\/span> at different stations. Six activities, 20 minutes a station, and you have most of <\/span>the morning covered. These stations <\/span>may<\/span> involve small scientific experiments, physical tasks, or puzzles. There are plenty of ideas on the inter<\/span>net, so it shouldn\u2019t take too long to set up.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Importance of Successfully Ending the School Year\u200b<\/h2>

In 1993, the Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman, along with colleagues, published a research report entitled\u00a0<\/span>When More Pain is Preferred to Less: Adding a Better End<\/i>. In this study, subjects were required to undertake two trials:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>