I've already gotten several emails from teachers wondering, "How can I fill those final hours of the school year?" The kids have mentally checked out, the teachers aren't far behind, and there's no more time for long-term projects. But, we still need to fill the day with something productive in order to keep the natives from getting ridiculously restless and out of line.

At my school, the last day will be a half day, releasing the students around noon. But, whether you have a full day or a minimum day, there's still plenty you can do to make the last day fun and memorable - definitely not a waste of time! Consider these ideas:

• Write a Letter to Next Year's Students - Ask your students to write a letter to the students you will teach next year. The kids can offer tips for success in your classroom, favorite memories, inside jokes, anything that a new student in your room might need or want to know. You'll get a kick out of seeing what the kids remember and how they perceive you and your classroom. And, you have a ready-made activity for the first day of school next year!
• Make a Memory Book - Design a simple little book for the kids to fill out on the last day(s) of school. Include sections for my favorite memory, a self-portrait, autographs, what I learned, a drawing of the classroom, etc. Get creative and your students will appreciate a memory book of their year in your room.
• Clean, clean, clean! - Use the power of youthful energy and elbow grease to lessen the cleaning load you face in closing down your classroom. Kids will love to scrub desks, take down posters, straighten up books, whatever you ask them to do! Write all of the tasks on index cards, pass them out, turn up the music, and supervise. A cute idea is to play The Coasters' "Yakety Yak" while they clean. It sings, "Take out the papers and the trash, or you don't get no spending cash!" Dare them to finish their jobs before the song is over.

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