How to Survive (and Maybe Even Enjoy) the Last Two Months of School
Let’s be real—by the time April rolls around, both teachers and students are so ready for summer. Sure, we put on our best “let’s finish strong” teacher face, but if there isn’t a countdown going somewhere in your school, I’d be seriously shocked.
And you know what? That’s okay.
I used to feel guilty for hitting that end-of-year burnout. I thought I was the only one dragging myself to the finish line, running on caffeine and sheer willpower. But over time, I realized something important: if I wanted to give my students my best, I had to give myself some grace too. That meant embracing the reality of the last few months—yes, they’re grueling—but also finding ways to make them manageable, fun, and even rewarding.
So, if you’re in that “just trying to survive” mode right now, let’s talk about some real, practical ways to make the most of the last stretch without completely burning out.
1. Acknowledge the Exhaustion (and Then Pivot!)
Instead of fighting the fact that both you and your students are running on fumes, lean into it. Shake things up! Instead of forcing traditional lessons when attention spans are gone, incorporate movement, collaboration, and hands-on activities. Interactive review games, team challenges, and escape rooms can make content engaging without making you want to pull your hair out.
2. Test Prep Without the Tears
If your district is like mine, standardized testing is somewhere in this mix. But here’s the thing – test prep doesn’t have to be soul-sucking.
Instead of endless worksheets, try collaborative posters, escape room challenges, or even a test review scavenger hunt. Your students will still get the review they need, but without the glazed-over eyes and groans.
3. Celebrate Progress, Not Just the Finish Line
At this point in the year, it’s easy to focus on what’s left to do. But don’t forget to celebrate how far your students have come. A simple reflection activity where students write letters to their past selves or create a class “highlight reel” can shift the focus from “let’s just be done” to “look at what we accomplished!”
4. Save Your Sanity With Self-Care (Yes, Really!)
This is NOT the time to stay up until midnight grading every last paper. Give yourself permission to simplify where you can. Batch grade. Use self-checking activities. And please, for the love of summer, don’t skip out on your own rest and recharge time. A 10-minute walk, an extra coffee stop, or a Friday night with zero guilt about that unfinished to-do list can work wonders.
5. Make the Last Days Count (Without Losing Your Mind)
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel for the last weeks of school. Simple, meaningful activities—like memory books, classroom awards, collaborative posters or even a “class time capsule”—give students a sense of closure and help you end the year on a positive note.
At the end of the day, you WILL survive these last two months—and with the right approach, you might even enjoy them. So take a deep breath, lean into the chaos, and give yourself some credit. You’ve got this.
Shake Up Your Routines
By the time the last nine weeks of school roll around, routines can start to feel… well, stale. Don’t get me wrong—having a structure in place is key for keeping behaviors in check and making sure your classroom doesn’t turn into total chaos. But sometimes, shaking things up just a little is exactly what you and your students need to stay engaged and energized.
So, let’s talk about some easy ways to tweak your daily routines and bring a fresh vibe to your classroom.
Rearrange Your Space (and Maybe Your Students!)
Sometimes, a simple seating shake-up can breathe new life into your room. If you have flexible seating, try rearranging desks or switching up where students sit. Want to go a step further? Swap students with another teacher for a class period! You’d be amazed at how well they behave when they’re with someone new—even Johnny, who constantly needs an attitude adjustment. (We all have a Johnny.)
Rethink Your Bell Ringers & Exit Tickets
If your students groan every time you say “bell ringer” or “exit ticket,” that’s a sign it’s time for a refresh! Instead of the usual warm-ups, try something unexpected. One of my favorite swaps?
Instead of a written bell ringer, I cut up a political cartoon and let my students piece it together like a puzzle at their desks. Once they completed it, we dove into a discussion about symbolism, audience, and author’s purpose. One student even asked, “Wait, are we not doing bell work today?” I just smiled and said, “This IS the bell work.” And let me tell you—the look of satisfaction on her face was priceless!
Add in the Unexpected
Little surprises go a long way! Whether it’s a mystery box challenge, a music playlist for work time, or flashlight reading days, small changes can turn everyday routines into something exciting. And guess what? When you’re excited about teaching, your students get excited about learning.
Let Students Take the Lead
Tired of being the one running the show? Let your students step up! Assign classroom jobs that empower them to take ownership—maybe they lead a discussion, create a daily recap, or even design a review game. The more invested they are, the less you have to push for engagement.
Celebrate Progress Along the Way
The last stretch of the school year isn’t just about getting through it—it’s about recognizing how far your students have come. Whether it’s a classroom milestone tracker, a “shout-out” wall, or a simple end-of-week reflection, finding ways to celebrate small wins keeps the momentum going.
So, if you’re feeling stuck in a rut, try switching things up! A few small changes can reignite energy in your classroom and keep everyone (yourself included!) engaged all the way to the finish line.
Focus on Necessities
Before we can officially celebrate summer, there’s still a whole lot of teaching left to do (and, of course, testing). So, how do you make sure you’re covering what actually matters—without overwhelming yourself or your students? Here’s my go-to strategy for tackling the must-dos, should-dos, and can-wait-until-laters.
Step 1: Sort Through the Necessities. Before anything else, I ask myself:
✔️ What absolutely HAS to be covered?
✔️ What needs to be done before testing?
✔️ What can wait until afterward?
Once I have those answers, it’s like a giant weight is lifted. I can stop stressing about cramming everything in and start being intentional about my lesson plans.
Step 2: Find Fresh Ideas to Keep Students Engaged
Now that I know what I’m teaching, I focus on how I’m teaching it. Because let’s be honest—if I’m bored with my own lesson plans, my students are definitely going to be, too.
Cue my favorite idea spaces:
📌 Pinterest for creative classroom hacks & engaging activities
📖 Facebook groups for real-life teacher recommendations
🐦 Tik Tok for quick, out-of-the-box ideas from fellow educators
A quick scroll through any of these, and BOOM—I’m inspired and ready to switch things up!
Step 3: Make Small Tweaks for Big Impact
Instead of reinventing the wheel, I refresh my existing lessons with a new approach.
Maybe it’s turning a reading passage into a scavenger hunt, turning test review into a game show, or swapping a worksheet for a collaborative escape room. These little changes make a huge difference in student engagement!
Shift to Student-Centered Learning
There’s a time and place for traditional teaching, where all eyes are on you, and you’re leading the lesson. But what if I told you that handing over the reins to your students could be an absolute game-changer?
Once I started letting my students own their learning, everything changed. Engagement went up, classroom energy shifted, and—let’s be honest—teaching became way more fun.
And guess what? The last nine weeks of school are perfect for student-centered learning.
Project-Based Learning: The Secret to Student Buy-In
By the time spring rolls around, students are so ready for something different. Enter project-based learning, where they get to explore, create, and connect with topics they’re actually excited about.
✅ Genius Hour – Give students time to research a topic they’re passionate about and present their findings.
✅ Passion Projects – Let them choose a subject, problem, or skill to explore in a way that fits their strengths.
✅ Collaborative Challenges – Group activities that require teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
The beauty of these? Students take ownership—and suddenly, learning feels less like a chore and more like an opportunity.
Student-centered learning isn’t just about doing—it’s about thinking. One of my favorite strategies? Four Corners. Instead of asking a multiple-choice question (which often leads students to follow the “smartest kid” in the room), try this:
1️⃣ Pose an opinion-based question with four possible responses.
2️⃣ Assign each answer to a corner of the room.
3️⃣ Have students move to the corner that represents their answer.
4️⃣ Once there, they turn and talk with a partner to justify their choice.
This simple strategy gets students moving, engaging, and actually thinking about their learning—not just passively absorbing information.
Find New Ways to Review
Using traditional study guides? They’re not exactly the most exciting way to help students review. If you’re tired of the same old paper-pencil routine (trust me, your students are too), it’s time to switch things up and make review time actually fun!
If I’m looking for a quick and easy way to gauge student understanding, I’ll swap out the study guides for online review tools like Formative. Digital platforms gamify the review process, giving students instant feedback while keeping them engaged. Bonus? No stacks of study guides for you to grade!
Don’t have access to devices? No problem. Some of my most memorable review sessions have come from letting students create their own board games based on the material. Here’s how it works:
Students design a game that reviews key concepts from the unit. They write questions and challenges to test their classmates.Then, they swap games and play each other’s creations—giving feedback along the way!
Reviewing doesn’t have to be a total bore—and it definitely doesn’t have to be all on you. By changing the format, you’ll not only keep students engaged, but you’ll also get better insight into their learning.
So, the next time you’re about to print a stack of study guides, stop! Try one of these interactive review strategies instead and watch your students actually enjoy the process.
Make Learning a Competition!
It doesn’t take much to get students fired up. Even the smallest incentives (hello, stickers and candy) can turn an everyday lesson into a must-win challenge. The best part? They’ll be so focused on winning, they won’t even realize they’re learning!
Simple, Low-Prep Games to Boost Engagement
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make learning competitive. Try these teacher-favorite games that work for just about any content area:
🔥 Relay Races – Split students into teams and have them race to solve problems, answer questions, or complete tasks.
🔥 Kahoot & NearPod – Instant engagement with digital, game-show-style quizzes.
🔥 Around-The-World – A classic, fast-paced challenge that gets kids out of their seats and thinking on their feet.
🔥 Escape Rooms – Let students race against the clock, solving puzzles and cracking codes. You’ll be amazed at which students step up as leaders!
If you’re looking for more genius ways to make learning feel like an amusement park, check out Edrenaline Rush – a book all about gamifying your classroom and making lessons unforgettable.
Using competition to your advantage keeps students engaged, motivated, and (most importantly) learning all the way to the finish line. So go ahead, crank up the fun, and let the games begin!
Bring the Energy
I shake up routines. I bring in new activities. I add an unexpected twist to lessons. Not just to keep my students engaged, but also because I want them to remember this time fondly.
Yes, there’s a countdown happening. But I don’t want my students looking back and saying, I barely made it through. I want them to say, That was actually fun!
When that happens? That’s when I know I’ve done my job right. That’s when I will know I have done my best as I SURVIVED The Last Two Months Of School.
I didn’t just survive the last two months of school—I made them count.
So if you’re looking for a way to shake things up and get students invested in the last stretch of the year, try these strategies. You might just be surprised at how much more they learn when you step back and let them take the lead!
