5 Classroom Management Strategies for the End of the Year

It’s the end of the school year and the kids are all talking really loudly at one time and you’re practically at your wit’s end. All the classroom management strategies you have implemented since the beginning of the year have gone out the window.

The end of the school year is hectic and kids and teachers alike are ready for a break. That’s why classroom management is important to focus on at the end of the year just like at the beginning of the year.

Here are 5 classroom management strategies to try at the end of the school year.

End of the Year Mystery Rewards

Adults are motivated by rewards. Would you be motivated to clean your bathroom if you knew you’d get a reward like money or a free meal after you were done?

I absolutely would!

It’s the same for kids. There is always more motivation to do something if we know we get something out of it in the end.

To motivate kids to behave during the last days of school I like to do mystery rewards.

End of the Year Mystery Rewards is a set of rewards that I put on QR cards and each day the kids can earn the mystery reward if they follow the class rules.

Classroom Management Strategies End of the Year Rewards

Super simple and the kids really do buy into it. And the mystery rewards don’t have to cost anything. Paper airplane contests and movie time are some of the favorites from past years.

All you need to do is come up with a list of 10-15 rewards depending on how many days you want to do this at the end of the year.

Then create QR code cards and post them in the class. Pick someone each day to scan the mystery reward and have fun!

Class VS Teacher

The points system is super simple and you’d be surprised how motivated kids are to “beat” the teacher.

Tell the class they’re going to compete against you and their goal is to get more points than the teacher for the day. They can earn points for following rules, following directions, and even going above and beyond like random acts of kindness.

If they have more points than the teacher at the end of the day, they win and get 5-10 minutes of free time at the end of the day.

Super simple and no prep is involved!

Classroom Management Strategies Kids Talking and Eating at Lunch

Lunch Bunch

Enjoy your students at the end of the year by getting to know them on a deeper level by having lunch with you.

When I’ve surveyed kids in the past their number 1 request is lunch with the teacher. This will be very motivating for the class.

But they have to work for it by following the rules and procedures of the class. If they behave for a week, the following week they get to eat lunch with you.

I know that lunch is a time for teachers to get that break from kids so it might not be the best choice for rewarding your class. So you could do it just twice for the last month of the school year. The kids have to earn it for two weeks instead of one.

Not only will it help kids behave because they want to earn lunch with you, but it will also help you and the students connect on a deeper level.

This also contributes to the behavior because having good relationships with kids makes them enjoy the class more and more prone to behaving.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Even though it’s the end of the year, if students are not following rules and procedures correctly, have them stop and practice.

Yes, it takes time out of the day but it will help you keep your sanity at the end of the year.

Are they lining up like wild animals ready to get freed? Practice walking in a straight quiet line around the school.

Are they excessively talking during a lesson? Practice being quiet and focusing on the target that is speaking.

Have kids show you the right way and wrong way. Choose kids that you know need to work on behaving to show you the wrong way first and then the right way. This usually brings some fun into it and helps get the class back on track.

Classroom Management Strategies Kids Doing Classwork Outside

Incorporate Movement and Go Outside

Kids are restless at the end of the year. And hopefully, by the end of the year, the weather is great for being outdoors.

So go outside and teach your lessons or go outside and have independent reading time.

You don’t have to go far. I’ve had times when kids are begging to go outside for a lesson to enjoy the weather. So we go out to the ramp of our portable and I teach right there.

You’d be surprised what a change of scenery, even if it’s just right outside your door, can do for class behavior. They were super focused and we got through the lesson without any issues.

Incorporating movement into your lessons is also important for restless kids. Find ways for kids to move either while you’re teaching them or while they are doing an assignment.

Here’s a simple idea to try during math class. Teach a math problem and then have the kids do 3 jumping jacks. Then do another math problem and repeat.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. But the extra movement will help kids be more attentive.

The end of the year is a really important time to have classroom management strategies in place. Keep it simple and you’ll end the year on a great note!