Finish Strong

Summer beckons. The weather is warming, senioritis is kicking in, and performance is dropping. Meanwhile pressure builds to ace exams and deliver good final grades. And, that’s just what the students are experiencing!

While students may be checking out, even the best teachers find the temptation to ease up a little as a summer approaches. Is that really a good idea? Teachers owe it to their students to finish strong and end the year on a high note.

Summer learning loss has been well documented. Students lose as much as two months of progress while they are whiling away on their summer adventures.

Finishing strong can at least ensure that students face a rigorous close to their year, in turn imprinting a stronger exit. This may delay the onset of summer learning loss which can begin well before the final bell.

Furthermore, keeping students engaged into June can encourage students to continue learning into the summer with reading lists and other exercises. Closing may require a final exam, but adding your most engaging classroom moments and group exercises can help. After all, if students leave for the summer on a high note with their heads full of the activities they participated in during the school year, then they are much more likely to consider further engagement on their own time.

A final suggestion might be to discuss summer learning loss with students. Discuss the possible implications of a completely carefree summer and how a complete lapse of educational activities impacts their minds. 

Then get students to opt-in to voluntary and fun alternative learning experiences. Offer lists of resources, new camps, STEM exercises, reading, games, and other engaging activities that will help students retain their knowledge through the summer. In fact, you could get students to help develop the list and offer exercises they would like.

What suggestions do you have to finish the school year strong and avoid summer learning loss?