End of the Year

During my pre-teaching experience I had to conduct a few interviews with practicing teachers to discuss different information about the school year. One of the interviews was to discuss the responsibilities of closing out the school year. I am glad that I was able to have this discussion because it allowed me to understand some of the duties that I will be responsible for as a teacher.


To start out, the teacher informed me that the process of closing the school year begins about a month or so before school lets out and lasts after the last day of school for students due to teacher workdays. She told me that it is extremely important to stay organized and stay on top of everything throughout the year so that when it comes time to close the school year, you are not bombarded with work to do.

She let me know that toward the end of year the school conducts different ceremonies and celebrations for the students. An awards ceremony is held to recognize the students for their academic achievements. They are also congratulated for their reading achievement through accelerated reading and are able to participate in a celebration. Each individual class may also host their own end of the year celebration and recognize what their class has achieved throughout the school year.

The teacher also informed me that there are things such as receipt books and report cards that have to be turned in before the end of the year. Some of the tasks that I will be expected to perform at the end of the year are: closing out each student’s permanent record, recording final grades, documenting each student’s yearly attendance, ensuring personal information is correct for each student, and turning in any discipline forms. She let me know that the process of completing all of these tasks will go a lot smoother if I remain organized throughout the year.

She said that the most challenging part of the end of the year duties is managing your time. She said that you are responsible for completing all of these tasks on time while still being responsible for teaching your children every day. You must have good time management skills and stay on task in order to get everything completed. She said that it can be a challenge, but it is worth every bit of work that you put into it.

Conducting this interview helped me prepare for my future career as a teacher. I now have an understanding of what will be expected of me at the end of the school year. I also know the importance of staying organized throughout the year in order to get everything done on time.

There was a lot of work to do and checkpoints to be reached before applying to the elementary education program but now I see that all of it is very beneficial. It is a way to be introduced to some of the tasks of a teacher and be better prepared for that. I have already learned so much through my pre-teaching and service learning and I still have a lot more to learn. The best way to learn new things is to get out there and do it. That is why service learning is so beneficial to my education. It allows me to experience things out in the teaching field and prepare myself for the teaching profession.