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Finishing the School Year Strong

By Larry Ferlazzo

This article is adapted from Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom Challenges by Larry Ferlazzo, just published by Eye on Education .

A teacher thinks: State testing is done, the weather is getting nicer, and we are all getting spring fever. There are six or seven weeks left of school and students are easily distracted. It’s even hard for me to stay focused. I don’t just want to "coast." What can I do?

Those last few weeks of school can be challenging, and it is understandable that both students and teachers would be tempted to "slack-off" a bit. However, it is important for the future of our students that we actually "step up" the quality and intensity of what is happening in our classrooms...