Top 5 Ideas to End the School Year in Middle School

 

Every year I look for new ways to keep my middle school students engaged for the last few days of school.  After state and county testing is done, so are the kids. They know teachers are wrapping up grades and summer fun is just hours away.  The saying about idle hands most definitely applies at this time.  So here's what I do to keep things moving in a positive direction.

1.  Play BINGO

I put together this game to review key reading and writing terms. To keep it interesting, we play a round with the traditional BINGO wins of diagonals, straight across or straight down.  Then we do things like four corners, outside edges, and inside squares.  I always have prizes for winners - usually some kind of food treat.  

2.  Mystery Student

Every day for the last week, I put up a sign that says "Mystery
Student".  It's inside a page protector so that I can slip another piece of paper behind it.  On that piece of paper, I write one of my students' names for each period.

I tell the students that if the mystery student for this class period meets our class expectations for the period, then that student will pick a special envelope and the entire class will get whatever reward is inside that envelope.  

Inside the envelopes, I had rewards like:

1.  Writing with chalk outside on the sidewalk

2.  Popsicles (the ones in the long plastic tubes)

3.  Cell phone time

4.  Heads up, Seven Up time

5.  Paper Airplane Contest

3.  Reading Skills Game Show

My students love games and so when I put a number of reading skills together in a game show, it was a hit!  We divided into teams and played this game.  To keep it interesting, I had them form teams for several games during the week.  So this was their first challenge as a team.  Later in the week, we play other games where their team can compete again. I keep a leaderboard and they love it!

4.  Memory Page

All of my students are not able to purchase a yearbook for one reason or another.  So I like to give them a "Memory Page" so they each have something to record their year and get signatures from their friends.   I first have them record their memories and add some color to the page. Then I give them time to walk around the room and have their friends sign it.  This is free in my resource library!

5. DIY Emoji Bookmark

I love to encourage reading over the summer and to do this, I have students make an emoji bookmark!  You will need yellow construction paper, markers, and this FREE video!

I hope one or more of these ideas help you end your school year in a fun and engaging way!

Thanks for stopping by!