This has been a year like no other, no educator will debate that. It is getting to that time to celebrate the closing of our courses. Perhaps, you have already closed it. Maybe you are wondering, with what energy? And I get it, you don’t have to do anything if you are not up for it. It is okay, you are still an amazing teacher because you have made it this far by doing what is best for you, and as my friend La Maestra Loca says, “what is good for you right now is what is best for them,” and she is 100% correct. 

However, if you would like to provide several simple activities for your students with little to no prep, I have a couple of suggestions I would like to share with you of things you can do to close the year on the most positive note possible given our current circumstances. 

Create a Class Video

This can be a video of you delivering a message to your students. My colleague, Maribel Gomez and I created a video for our seniors.

Your video doesn’t have to be fancy, you can use your phone and iMovie or simply record yourself delivering your message for your class in Zoom or via Loom. Whatever tech works for you!

If you, like me, love to take pictures of your classes, then this is a great option for you to compile all of those pictures and add your class’ favorite song of the year/semester as your background music. Students will love to reminisce about the great times they had with you as their teacher. 

Close the Year with a Fun activity to Celebrate Community and Progress

Normally, in a regular school year, I do these types of activities with paper and students present, very casually, in small groups. 

This year, I made a digital version of some of the activities we carry out during the last days of school. The idea, again, is for the students to smile as they are thinking about their answers and to reflect on the community we have built and the progress they have made. You can grab a copy of this activity here. 

Have Your Students Send a Thank you Card to a Teacher

Every year at my school, one of our amazing ELA teachers gives all of her classes the assignment to write a Thank You Note to a teacher who has made their year. This is done during Teacher Appreciation Week. I love these notes when I receive them from students, I have them all saved on what I call “My Sunshine Folder.” 

I know this year, for some teachers, Teacher Appreciation Week was very rough and to some almost non-existent, so in an effort to brighten up everyone’s year, you can assign students the task of creating a heartfelt  Thank You Card to email it to one teacher. I guarantee you that it will brighten up someone’s day. This year, we need to receive and spread all of the positivism we absolutely can. 

Play Your Class’ Favorite Game Just for Fun

This one is an all time favorite. Make a trivia game about teachers at your school and/or students in your class in the target language (or not) on their favorite gaming platform (Gimkit, Kahoot, Etc) and host a video conference day and time for all students to join you to play the game. Play their favorite song in the background while students are playing. Watch them smile and enjoy it!

So, there you have it. These are four quick ideas to close the year on a positive note. Are you already doing any of these or something similar? What are you planning to do to close the school year virtually? Remember, it is totally okay to not do anything. These are different times, and you have given your all this far.