As the school year winds down, keeping students engaged while managing final assessments, events, and transitions can be challenging. But these last weeks are also a powerful opportunity to reinforce essential life skills—helping students build confidence, resilience, and positive connections as they prepare for the summer and next school year.
By integrating DESSA-aligned instructional strategies, teachers can make these final weeks both meaningful and productive. Here are six easy, classroom-ready strategies to help you close the year strong while fostering skills that matter most for student success.
1 - Build Optimism for the Future - DESSA Competency: Optimistic Thinking
The transition to summer (and the next grade level) can feel uncertain for students. Encouraging optimistic thinking helps them feel confident about what’s ahead and recognize their growth.
Try this: Letter to My Future Self: Have students write a letter to their future selves with goals, advice, and encouragement for next year.
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2 - Encourage Self-Reflection & Growth Mindset - DESSA Competency: Self-Awareness
Before students say goodbye, take time to help them recognize how much they’ve grown—academically, socially, and personally.
Try this: Personalized Growth Showcase: Recognize students not just for academic achievement, but also for traits like perseverance, creativity, or leadership.
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3 - Reinforce Routines to Strengthen Self-Management - DESSA Competency: Self-Management
The end of the year can feel unpredictable with field trips, assemblies, and special events. Maintaining structure (while keeping things fun) helps students stay focused and practice self-regulation.
Try this: End-of-Year Choice Board – Give students a menu of activities that blend fun with learning, encouraging independence.
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4 - Strengthen Social Awareness Through Reflection & Appreciation - DESSA Competency: Social Awareness
Encouraging students to reflect on their relationships and recognize the contributions of others builds empathy and gratitude—essential skills for positive communities.
Try this: Gratitude Letters: Have students write notes of appreciation to classmates, teachers, or school staff.
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5 - Strengthen Peer Connections with Meaningful Interactions - DESSA Competency: Relationship Skills
The final weeks are a great time to reinforce positive peer interactions while helping students build the confidence to navigate relationships successfully.
Try this: Advice for Next Year’s Class – Have students create a guide or video with tips for next year’s students.
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6 - Empower Students to Make Responsible Choices - DESSA Competency: Responsible Decision Making
The end of the year is a perfect time to reinforce decision-making skills, both for the summer ahead and the next school year.
Try this: Summer Success Plans – Help students brainstorm realistic, positive summer goals (like reading a certain number of books or learning a new skill).
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Finish Strong: Final Takeaway
You don’t need complicated activities to end the school year strong. A little structure, celebration, and encouragement will help students reflect on their progress, strengthen essential life skills, and step into the future with confidence.
Looking for More Ideas?
Did you know the DESSA System includes a robust library of easy-to-implement lessons designed to support student growth in essential life skills like optimistic thinking, self-management, and responsible decision making? These research-backed strategies make it simple to integrate social, emotional, and behavioral instruction into any classroom.
To access these Instructional Strategies, simply log in to your DESSA account and navigate to the ‘Strategies’ section to find ready-made activities tailored to your students' needs!