The clock is winding down on the 2015-2016 school year, and staying motivated can be difficult…for students and teachers alike! In last week’s slowchat hosted by teachers Lyndsay Nottingham and Sarah Thomas, we asked for the strategies or tools you use to stay energized and finish the school year strong. Read on for eight of the Teacher2Teacher community’s responses and share your own in the comments below.

1. 1. “Enjoy the rest of the year. Plan games/fun activities for your students, try new technology or tools, & plan for next year.” —@ShanaVWhite
   2. “I keep students engaged by applying variety of peer group activities & choice for products with student-created rubrics.” —@RebMarr
   3. “I am getting my Makerspace station ready to open up. I can’t wait to watch the students explore.”—@AMitchell828
   4. “I take brain breaks with students. Stretch, run in place, snack, stock up on fun hands-on activities.”—@ThezGonzo
   5. “I get energy from watching other teachers in their element! I am lucky to get to spend time in classes!”—@dcrescitelli
   6. “Listen to a @BriansPNotes each morning. Too many to name one, but certainly graciousness, equanimity, and journaling come to mind. Graciousness: the will to keep on pushing no matter what.”—@TeacherVoss
   7. “Take on biggest challenges. Attack hardest problems head on. Even if not successful, the experience counts.”—@iCoder1978
   8. “I treat the last day of the year the same as the first. Every day = new learning & fun.”—@SJNeill13

Don’t miss this week’s slow chat about keeping absent students on track—use #T2TChat to join in the conversation with hosts Lyndsay Nottingham and Sarah Thomas. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter if you don’t already!