Looking for a few teacher-approved ways to keep your classroom running smoothly and make the end of the school year less stressful? With these 3 tips, instead of feeling overcome and overwhelmed, you’ll get to enjoy all the time you have left with your students as you wrap up the school year!

Plus, check out these strategies to make packing up your classroom library a breeze!

Create a final countdown chart to summer.

Whether you start with the last 10 days of the school year or get an early jump and begin at day 30, creating your own countdown to summer chart is a great way to relieve stress when your end-of-year to-do lists keep growing. With a countdown chart, you and your students will be able to plan and prioritize everything you want to accomplish before the school year ends.

And to get your students even more excited about the summer break, encourage your young learners to work on this When Summer Comes mini-book. It’s a creative and engaging way to inspire your students to think about what summer has in store and all the fun things they’ll get to do on summer break.

Give your calendar the attention it deserves (and start planning for next year.)

Sometimes the last thing you want to do at the end of the day is to check your calendar and ensure it’s organized. But your calendar is your most important tool, especially at the end of the school year. Take time every day to keep it up to date so you can stay on schedule and wrap up the school year stress free! And as you wrap up the school year—and start planning for the next—be sure you give your calendar and planner the attention it deserves.

Shake up your routine.

There’s good reason to believe that sticking to a strict routine during the final days of school is going to keep your classroom running smoothly and be the most effective way to stay stress free. But shaking it up just it a little and giving your students some unexpected fun, will not only keep your students engaged in learning, it also gives you a valuable break from the everyday stress leading up to summer break. This fun, end-of-year activity is a great way to break free from traditional classroom learning and set sail for open waters ahead of summer!

For even more ready-to-go activities and lesson plans to make the end of the year less stressful, check out this end-of-year mini-unit and this end-of-school poetry collection from Scholastic Teachables.