Keeping Kids Engaged and Educated

We have reached the last two weeks of school, and it is becoming tricky to keep the kids on task and interested in learning.  Now, add some hot days in a classroom without air conditioning and it's even harder.  So I have had to become the master of entertainment, excitement, and education.  I'm guessing that I am not the only teacher encountering this in their classroom at the end of the school year so I have decided to share a few things that are working in my classroom.

1. Include lots of brain breaks:  One thing that works best with my class is music and movement.  My kindergarten class LOVES songs by The Learning Station.
2. Provide lots of student directed learning:  I try to keep my lessons as short and direct as possible, and give the children more time to work together or independently.
3. EXTRA recess:  Every kid loves more time to run and play outside!
4. Create, Discover, Explore!:  I have been including more creative ways for kids to learn, which include digital tools as well as art projects related to our writing or reading.
5. Add technology:  We visited the computer lab for math this week!  The kids had the chance to practice some of their addition and subtraction skills on ABCya.

These are just a few examples that I have used in my kindergarten classroom.  I hope you are able to modify them to use in your classroom so your student's stay engaged in learning until their last day of school.