It’s Time to Put “Maycember” In Our Rearview Mirror

“What Just Happened?”

With “Maycember” now behind us, some of you educators may be thinking, “What just happened?”  And some of you may also be thinking, “And we still have June to contend with!”  I hear you, and I feel you.  The month of May IS like the month of December in comparison to its busyness.  Actually, I would go so far as to say May is even busier and more stressful than December.  But does every May have to be like this?!

I have heard many an admin and educator say, “We do this to ourselves!”  Honestly, I’ve spoken these very words…but c’mon!  Is this somehow supposed to make us feel better?  Does this sentiment somehow lighten the load?  Absolutely not!  But truer words have not been spoken in the hallways filled with exhausted teachers…we DO do this to ourselves.  So does every May have to be like this?!  

NO.  But saying so doesn’t make it so…it’s going to take a lot of effort to take some of this “Maycember” craziness off of our plates.  We’re going to have to have some tough conversations and do some hard work before we can get to a place where the month of May can lose that -cember suffix!  

The Month of May’s Chaos

If May were a person, it would walk into a teacher’s classroom on a Monday morning carrying field trip forms under one arm, standardized testing schedules under the other, and dragging a wagon filled with spirit weeks, assemblies, fundraisers, awards ceremonies, purchase orders, and end-of-year events. Then it would give you a cheerful thumbs-up and say, “Ready? We only have twenty-seven things to do before summer!”  

The problem isn’t that any one event is overwhelming. The problem is that schools somehow manage to schedule ALL of them at the exact same time and then act surprised when educators start looking slightly feral by Memorial Day.  What chaos does May bring about?  You know…

First off, field trips! It is near the end of the year, the weather is finally cooperating, and every grade level has suddenly decided that leaving the building is a fantastic idea. Buses are booked, permission slips are flying, and teachers are desperately counting heads every twenty-three seconds.

Also, end-of-year assemblies. We have students to recognize, achievements to celebrate, and school spirit to crank up one last time before summer arrives. These events are meaningful, but they also require significant planning, preparation, and rehearsal time.

Also, standardized testing! Nothing says “spring” quite like carefully arranged testing schedules, technology checks, make-up sessions, and reminders to bring charged devices. The pressure may vary from state to state, but the logistical challenges remain remarkably consistent.

Also, end-of-year school testing! Reading assessments, math screeners, benchmark tests, and other measures of student growth all seem to arrive at the same moment. It’s educational data season.

Also, spirit week! Pajama Day, Crazy Hat Day, Twin Day, Tropical Day, and seventeen other themed days somehow require students, parents, and teachers to locate increasingly specific wardrobe items before 7:30 in the morning.

Also, fundraisers! Spring carnivals, book fairs, fun runs, raffle baskets, silent auctions, and other worthy causes all arrive looking for volunteers, donations, planning committees, and attendance.

Also, proms and dances! Students are excited, families are preparing, advisors are organizing, and someone is inevitably asking questions about decorations, tickets, or dress codes five minutes before the event begins.

Also, Spring sports! Practices, games, tournaments, senior nights, banquets, transportation schedules, and weather-related rescheduling create a second full-time calendar that many families are trying to navigate.

Also, Teacher Appreciation Week! A wonderful and meaningful celebration of educators that somehow occurs during one of the busiest weeks of the entire school year. The irony is not lost on teachers everywhere.

Also, arts showcases! Art shows, theater productions, talent shows, and spring concerts provide opportunities for students to shine and families to celebrate their hard work. They are fantastic events that require an incredible amount of behind-the-scenes preparation.

Also, moving-up ceremonies and graduation activities! Whether students are heading to middle school, high school, or beyond, schools love to celebrate these milestones. Rightfully so. They also require planning, rehearsals, programs, seating charts, and approximately four hundred emails.

Also, classroom celebrations and end-of-year parties! Teachers want to create memorable experiences for students, and students deserve them. However, organizing snacks, volunteers, supplies, and schedules adds yet another item to the May to-do list.

Also, staffing and scheduling meetings! While students are wrapping up the year, administrators and teachers are already beginning to plan the next one. Class placements, staffing discussions, and scheduling decisions often occur simultaneously with all the festivities.

Also, field day! One of the most beloved days of the year, featuring games, competition, sunshine, excitement, and at least one teacher wondering why they agreed to run the water-balloon station.

Also, student behavior that suddenly develops “summer fever.” As temperatures rise and vacation approaches, attention spans mysteriously shrink. Educators everywhere become part teacher, part motivational speaker, and part air traffic controller.

Also, purchase orders for teachers! Just when educators think they can see the finish line, it’s time to start planning for next year. Teachers begin combing through supply catalogs, calculating budgets, and submitting purchase orders while simultaneously grading assignments, attending events, and keeping students focused.

Combatting the Chaos

Considering this exhaustive list of items (and I’m sure I missed something), we certainly cannot get rid of every event!  What we need to do is go through this list and make the determination of 1) what needs to stay, 2) what can be rescheduled for an earlier month, and 3) what can go altogether.  We need to reclaim the month of May for what it should be – an exciting time of renewal and anticipation.

This move in making “Maycember” less burdensome is pivotal for increasing our school community’s health, and creating a stronger finish to the school year.  As author and educator Stephen Covey expressed, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

What Needs to Stay

Let’s begin with the obvious: not everything on the May calendar is a villain. Some things are unavoidable, some things are required, and some things are genuinely worth the effort. If we tried to eliminate every event that creates stress, we would end up with a pretty bland final month of school. The goal is not to become educational minimalists. The goal is to be intentional.

1. Standardized Testing – Love it or loathe it, state testing is generally not optional. Schools have accountability requirements, and these assessments are part of the educational landscape.
2. End-of-Year School Testing – Benchmark assessments, reading inventories, math screeners, and other end-of-year data collection pieces help educators understand student growth and prepare for the following year.
3. Spring Sports – Seasons are often determined by weather and league schedules, making them difficult to relocate on the calendar. Besides, students deserve the opportunity to compete, grow, and represent their schools.
4. Teacher Appreciation Week – Educators spend the entire year pouring themselves into students. A week of recognition is certainly worth keeping, even if teachers sometimes have to find time to appreciate themselves between meetings, testing schedules, and lunch duty.
5. Arts Showcases – Concerts, art shows, theater productions, and exhibitions allow students to celebrate months of hard work. These events provide meaningful opportunities for students to shine and for families to see the fruits of their children’s efforts.
6. Moving-Up Ceremonies and Graduation Activities – Important milestones that deserve to be celebrated.
7. Purchase Orders and Planning for Next Year – Schools cannot simply wait until summer to begin preparing for the next school year. While teachers may grumble about planning next year before finishing this one, these tasks are essential.

What Can Be Rescheduled

Now we get to the category that offers the greatest opportunity for relief. Many beloved traditions do not need to disappear – they simply need a different zip code on the calendar. Moving a few events to March, April, or even earlier in the year could dramatically reduce the pressure cooker that May has become.

• Field Trips – The weather argument is certainly valid, but many trips can happen earlier in the spring or even during the fall. Moving even a portion of these experiences would free up valuable time and energy.
• Spirit Weeks – Spirit Weeks are fun, but they also require daily planning from students, parents, and staff. Spreading these celebrations throughout the year may preserve the excitement while reducing the end-of-year pileup.
• School Dances and Proms – While some events are tied to graduation traditions, others could easily be moved to different points in the school year. Students generally enjoy dancing regardless of the month listed on the calendar.
• Book Fairs (and other fundraisers) – Book fairs seem to appear precisely when everyone is already juggling seventeen other things. A fall or winter book fair could be just as successful while creating breathing room later in the year.

What Can Go (but doesn’t have to)

Before anyone starts drafting strongly worded emails, let me be clear: I am not suggesting these events are bad. In fact, many of them are wonderful. The question is not whether they are enjoyable; the question is whether every event deserves permanent residence on an already overcrowded May calendar.

• Additional Fundraisers – Spring carnivals, fun runs, product sales, and other fundraising efforts often create significant planning demands for staff and families. Schools may want to evaluate whether every fundraiser is necessary or whether fewer, more focused efforts could achieve similar results.
• Assemblies That Could Be Combined – Schools sometimes hold multiple recognition events, celebrations, and assemblies in a short period of time. Consolidating some of these into larger events could preserve the celebration while reducing interruptions.
• Extra “Just Because We’ve Always Done It” Events – Every school has traditions that no one can quite explain anymore. If the only justification for an event is that it has existed since the invention of the overhead projector, it may be worth revisiting.
• Redundant Activities – Occasionally, schools create multiple events that accomplish similar goals. A careful review of the calendar may reveal opportunities to streamline without sacrificing student experiences.

Perhaps the real question schools should ask is this: If we were building our school calendar from scratch today, would we include every single one of these events? If the answer is no, that conversation is probably worth having.

Conclusion

Conversations should happen between administration, staff, and the PTO at the beginning (or end) of the school year to create ways to spread out the month of May’s events throughout the year.  We need to do this so we don’t consistently have a cluster of chaos in May – even if the chaos is adored!  

Let’s stop doing this to ourselves, and start making decisions for a better school experience for our students, for a manageable schedule for our students’ families, and for the sanity of our educators.  Let’s put “Maycember” in our rearview mirror of educational folly once and for all!