{"id":541,"date":"2026-05-14T11:54:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/center.antioch.edu\/csc\/?p=541"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:56:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:56:13","slug":"making-space-for-something-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/center.antioch.edu\/csc\/2026\/05\/14\/making-space-for-something-new\/","title":{"rendered":"Making space for something new"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Testing is over (or almost over), the days are longer, the temps are warmer,\u00a0 and notebooks, sneakers, and backpacks are being held together with duct tape and vibes.Summer\u2019s coming!\u00a0<\/strong>We know it before we say it out loud- students realize that the end is coming and that things are going to change.\u00a0 Some may be leaving- graduating or moving to another school, others may move into different social circles.\u00a0

While we may be excited about warmer weather and a chance to take a breath from the day-to-day of the classroom, it\u2019s not unusual to be \u201call up in our feels\u201d as the kids say (or maybe the kids don\u2019t say that anymore- who can keep up?!) After all, we\u2019ve spent almost 250 days planning, playing, reacting, responding, worrying, hoping, and growing with our students. For some of us, the faces that leave us in May or June will return in August or September. For others, that last wave on the way out the door may be the actual last wave on the way out the door.\u00a0\u00a0

If you\u2019re familiar with\u00a0Tuckman\u2019s 5 stages of group development<\/a>, you know that the group is preparing for\u00a0adjourning<\/a>. For many, your class has been a safety net\u2014 their community\u2014 and the potential loss of that harbor can bring out unexpected behaviors.\u00a0Anxiety<\/a>\u00a0about what\u2019s going to happen next can lead to regressions like tantrums and outbursts, not to mention a host of physical ailments, and\u00a0soiling the nest<\/a>\u00a0isn\u2019t uncommon when students are preparing to leave a familiar, safe place. Some people hate to say goodbye, and some folks may be wondering about the future.\u00a0Saying goodbye is important, and it\u2019s one of many skills that we need to be taught. The\u00a0rituals and traditions<\/a>\u00a0that we build into our transitions can help our students learn how to make sense of goodbyes, no matter how difficult they may be.\u00a0This month I\u2019m sharing a few of my favorites, along with some links to tips, tools, and resources to help. Use these last days and weeks to reflect on and celebrate how far you\u2019ve come and how much you\u2019ve learned- both with your students, with your colleagues, and on your own. You all know things now that you didn\u2019t know in the fall, and some of the knowledge was especially hard-won.\u00a0Do you have a favorite end-of-year strategy? A tool, process, ritual, or tradition that you love? Let us know so we can share it with the community!I hope you\u2019re surrounded by folks who support your growing edges- I know we’re rooting for you!
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>
\n

PS-\u00a0Change is coming for us at Antioch New England as well. After 30+ years in our current office suite, we’re packing up and moving\u2014 just across the hall, but it’s amazing how much we’ve accumulated! So many books, so much student work, so many memories of faculty and students who moved on. If you follow us on social media (LinkedIn<\/a>,\u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/em>), you’ll get a peek into what it takes to move 30 years of stuff into a new space!\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ideas to Connect With This Month<\/h3>\n\n\n\n