One year in May, as I was trying to cram in the final activities for a Dramatic Lit course, I promised my students we could watch the movie version of our last play on the last day of school. “What a fun way to close out the class,” I thought. The last day rolled around and students shuffled in. I overheard “This is the 3rd movie I’ve watched today.” At the end of class…that was it. They just walked out. How anti-climactic. All they did on their last day of school was pad from room to room watching movies.
I realized I had just missed a great opportunity to give all of us closure. My students spent all year together, in my room, being challenged with new ideas and skills; I could either choose to give that weight by bringing it to a meaningful end, or I could say, “Ok…umm, I guess that’s it, see ya.”
In the mad dash toward the end of the school year, take a moment to pause and ask yourself, “What was it that I wanted my students to get out of this class? How do I want my students to feel when they walk out of my room for the last time?” Once you have that figured out, you can start to plan the perfect last day.
Things to Consider when Planning the Perfect Last Day
What will Make it Feel Special?
Movies, pizza, and candy can feel special at the time because they are different. But what will make for a lasting memory? What will send students into the summer with a sense of accomplishment and success? The answer to these questions depends on what you want students to get out of your class (or how you answered the questions above).
Should It Be in the Classroom or in a Different Location?
If your students are attached to the actual physical space of your classroom (because you’ve made it cozy, they have special art on the walls, etc.), then maybe it’s best to say goodbye to each other in the room. In fact, maybe taking down the art can be part of the closing. But if your room is not particularly special, it can be better to go some place different, like outside, or to the auditorium.
How Important is the Classroom Community?
It’s easy for end of the year activities to be solo activities. If, for example, we ask students to reflect on what they learned, or write a note to next year’s students, they will mostly be working on their own. Even really thoughtful activities like having students write nice things about each other (sometimes called Bag of Sunshine) have students working alone (though they are thinking about each other, so it has a community element). At any rate, this isn’t necessarily bad, just something to consider. If you like to emphasize the collaborative, convivial nature of your classroom, then consider an activity that lets students honor and say goodbye to that community.
Great Activities for the Last Day
Here are a handful of activities that have worked well for me in the past. Use these to get ideas and then be creative about what will work for your students.
Pass the Rock
Pass the Rock is a good activity for giving students the opportunity to reflect and share final wisdom.
The format is simple: First, bring an object (could be a rock, could be anything) that has special meaning to you or your students. Ask students to sit in a circle. Whether you have them sit on the ground or in chairs, I would move the desks out of the way. Tell them why you have chosen the object you did (it often helps students be more thoughtful if they know why the object is important to you). Once students are seated, give them a prompt. You could prompt them with something broad (better for older students), like, “Reflect back over the year; what are you taking away from this course? How have you changed this year?” Or ask something more specific, “What’s your favorite memory from this year? What’s one thing you’re glad you learned this year.”
You can answer the question first to give students an example. Then pass the object to the next student. Whoever has the object is the speaker. It is everyone else’s job to listen. No one responds or retorts; they just listen.
Once everyone has spoken, I think it’s nice to close out with a group gesture. You can have students bow to the center of the circle or put their hands into the middle for a final cheer.
Words For
This activity prompts students to focus on what they appreciate in their peers and see how they are appreciated.
You can do this in one large group or in smaller groups depending on the amount of time you have. Ask students to sit in a circle and send one student out of the room. The remaining students offer up 3 things they like about that person. It could be a specific anecdote or a trait. Once they have agreed on the three things, you invite the person back in. One student tells the returning student what was said. That student then tries to guess the people that offered up each compliment. After they have guessed, the true speakers are revealed. Often times the students are surprised to learn who said what nice things about them. To get the most out of this activity, encourage each student to really consider their peers and prompt different students to speak up so it’s not the same students each time.
Strike the Set
This activity is about inviting students to reflect back on the year through un-making the classroom.
If their work and decorations already adorn the wall, you can have an organized teardown. Ask students to stand up and walk around the room, observing their own work and the work of their peers. Then ask students to take turns taking an item off the wall. You can ask them to take their own work off the wall and reflect on what they got out of it. Another option is to prompt students to take any piece of work that speaks to them. Have the student return that item to the owner while telling the maker why they chose it, why they thought it was good, or why it is representative of that person’s growth.
Pop-up Gallery
If students have lots of work samples that aren’t on the wall, you can have them make a pop-up gallery.
Ask students to look through their work portfolio for the year and pull out one or two favorite projects or samples. Mark off an area on the wall for your gallery. Have students bring their samples to the center of the room. Provide them with tape and ask them to hang their projects in the designated area. Ask them not to speak during this activity but just watch as their peers hang their work. As students feel inspired, they can move items around. Prompt students to look at all the work as a whole then move items around to make a whole picture. “What items seem like they should go together? Does the configuration of work make a bigger picture?” Again, students shouldn’t talk during this process. It is a silent but collaborative art piece. Once students seem satisfied with the final piece, you can ask them to talk about the items they chose and why. You can also ask them to reflect on the collection of work. Since students will have chosen pieces from different projects, this will be a nice overview of the year. Students can reflect back on the different projects and all that they have accomplished this year.
Accomplish Something Together and Give a Gift.
Sometimes self-reflection and group appreciation aren’t quite the right tack. Some students find it particularly meaningful to give something back to the school or to pass the torch to the incoming class.
With this kind of activity, you can encourage your class to be stewards of the places they inhabit and the communities that support them. Together you could plant flowers around the school, make a welcome message and advice for next year’s class, or thoroughly clean the room to thank the custodians and lighten their load.
The important thing is to find an activity that closes the year in a way that’s meaningful to you and your students. While it’s good to reflect on what your students like, I encourage you to consider activities that seem like a bit of a stretch for your class. Don’t just pick what’s comfortable (or we’d just all watch movies). You might be surprised what your students will do when encouraged to speak from the heart.
