The ending of a quarter is such a weird time of the school year. There’s so much going on with grades, assessments, projects, and all of the wrapping up of other things. Usually, the end of the quarter lines up with a break so there’s also the anticipation of a vacation or just a few days off. In order to set yourself up for the end of the quarter and the start of the next one, I’m sharing 10 things to do before the end of the quarter.
Things To Do Before the End of the Quarter: Clean up the classroom
I always have my students help with this task as more hands make less work. I set a timer for 10-15 minutes and create a list of tasks that need to be done around the room. Students work on something (usually with their friends) and the whole room gets cleaned.
Ideas to put on your cleaning list:
- Organize table bin supplies
- Sort out broken crayons and markers
- Organize headphones
- Clean mini whiteboards
- Wipe down tables/chairs (I save this one for last and have everyone wipe something down)
- Put away library books
- Take things down to the lost and found
- Sharpen pencils
These are all tasks that students can do in pairs or trios and as long as everyone is working, it’s a win. I’ll sometimes let students have some technology time as a reward for helping with the cleanup.
New Seating Charts
I don’t switch up my seats too often, but I for sure change them once a quarter. I’ll create the new seating charts toward the end of the quarter when students (and behaviors) are still fresh in my brain.
Things To Do Before the End of the Quarter: New Rosters
I use rosters to keep track of grades because I’m kind of old school like that. Also, I’ve had enough computer failures around grade time to have learned my lesson that paper doesn’t get deleted…
I print out fresh rosters for each of my classes and make sure that my emergency drill rosters are up to date with students who have moved.
First Week Back Slides
This is more on the planning side of preparation but I always go into the next quarter with the first week back totally planned. I make sure that my slides are ready for the week with directions and timers. I use this pack of slides and timers for classroom use to help keep me organized.
It’s such a great feeling coming back and having my day already planned out!
First Week Back Copies
Similar to the slides, I like having the first week or first unit batch prepped. This is how I prepare lesson plans quickly. If you want to learn more about my batch-prepping system, be sure to read this blog post, it has all the information!
Things To Do Before the End of the Quarter: Finish Grades
Even though I could grade things over the break, I’m a firm believer in enjoying my time away from school. I make sure to have all of my final grades submitted before I leave for break. This can be a lot of work, depending on how you plan your units, but it is totally worth it!
To make this easier, I set a deadline for any late work to be submitted 2 days before the last day of the quarter. This gives me some time to get grades updated and finalized. At the middle school level, this also teaches some responsibility.
Prep Math Station Rotations
This task can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be! I always pick low prep, print and play math games for my math station rotations. This keeps it simple to switch out, and because my students play similar games all year, there’s less time spent learning how to play the math games. If you want to learn more about how to switch up math stations quickly check out these blog posts.
- Easy, Low Prep Math Station Rotation Ideas
- 5 Ways How To Use Technology in Math Classrooms
- Math Learning Centers Made Simple and Easy
- How to Set Up Math Stations in Under 30 Seconds
Clean Up Teacher Space
Similar to cleaning up the classroom, I want to make sure that my desk is clean and ready for a new quarter. I spend 10 minutes putting things away and cleaning out a drawer or two. There’s no feeling like a clean workspace to come back to after a break.
Putting Away Materials
Have old lab equipment laying around? How about master copies sitting in a pile on a shelf? I make sure that copies are put into their binders about once a week but this sometimes builds up as we get closer to the end of the quarter. I also am notorious of hoarding science supplies in my classroom. I put all of the old materials back where they go so that I’m ready to collect more supplies next quarter…
Cleaning off the walls
I take down any vocabulary words and poster for math topics that are still hanging up. This leaves space for the next units math poster ideas and science vocabulary words. I like the feeling of a clean slate, can you tell?
Maths Posters Ideas
Finally, I like to take some time and create math posters for my next unit. This is a fun task for me and gives me a change of pace from entering grades. If you need creative math poster ideas, be sure to check out this blog post where I share a bunch of tips and ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
If you rather just trace math anchor charts, I have a bundle created for 5th grade math lessons that are perfect. Everything is traceable AND the set even comes with fill-in-the-blank pages for math interactive notebooks. You can get your maths posters ideas and copies for the first week back all done in one step. If you want to check out the bundle click here.
Other Things To Do Before the End of the Quarter
Looking for more things to do before the end of the quarter? Be sure to check out these blog posts that share even more ideas.
- Easy Work Life Balance for Teachers Tips
- What time management skills do teachers really need?
- Teacher To Do List Methods to Boost Productivity
- 4 Powerful Ways to Tame Your To-Do List
I’d love to know from you! What are some things that you do before the end of the quarter?
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