It's the final five days of school for the children.
Yesterday was a challenging day since the room was a mess after last week's multiple special events, and when the room's a mess, the children never get along as well as when the room is organized. I find the same is true at home--an organized, tidy home/classroom is a happy, peaceful home/classroom.
So last night I completed one big clean-up. I moved all the books I won't use next year to the hall and invited colleagues to come by and take what they want. After colleagues collect books, I'll invite students to take what they want. I've been holding on to many of these books for years and while it's hard to part with books, having space to create, teach, and collaborate in the classroom is more important now.
We want to end the year with strength and happiness so today we'll spend some time organizing paperwork for the final field trip and class field day. We'll also prep for the field trip with a visit from an Audubon naturalist who will introduce to the upcoming field study. Later students will have some time for learning choices and reading. The last five days are as important as the first five days and attention to our teaching/learning community is the goal.
