Picnic day, field day, special programs, assemblies, trips...the end of the year is a busy and exciting time. After teaching for 20 years, you'd think I have it all figured out, but to be honest, the end of the year always catches me off guard. It takes a few days to adjust to the realization that there will be no consistency from one day to the next. In reflecting upon the last two decades as a general music teacher, I present to you my personal end-of-the-year survival guide. Maintaining expectations Do your students forget how to act in class, raise their hands, or use indoor voices? If only there was a vaccine for end-of-the-year amnesia! Now more than ever I find it is crucial to be consistent with classroom expectations, and to continue to hold my students to the same standards I have been all year. Some days, I'll spend part of the lesson helping my students practice our classroom routines like we did in September. It may take 1 minute, or half of the cl...