Although we hope that our students’ learning won’t stop just because school does, it’s good to help them reach a sense of closure during the last few weeks of the year. Good endings leave students with feelings of pride in their growth, a strong sense of themselves as capable learners, and excitement about the learning communities they’ll build during the next school year.

Here’s a handful of quick, fun, and easily do-able ways to achieve those good endings.

A reality of teaching that all teachers know well is that no matter how effectively we teach, no matter how hard students try, and no matter how many good days the class has together, students will sometimes need more—more direction, more support, more teaching, more time. But in one of those “Aha” moments that sometimes come along just when we need them, I realized recently that just because some students need extra help doesn’t mean the proactive teaching we do every single day is ineffective. Far from it.