If you took a poll everyone would rather be at the pool, however, there are ways to make summer school as valuable an experience as the regular school year can be—in fact, it can be a vital part of success come fall.
Use these 4 tips to make this year’s summer school environment a more enjoyable place to be.
4 Ways to Make Summer School More Positive
Summer school can be challenging for educators and students, but using the opportunity to create a positive learning environment may help to give students a better lead-in to the start of a new school year.
Accentuate the Positive
Sometimes teachers need a positive push to give up potential spare time for summer school. The truth is that the students wouldn’t be there if they weren’t invested in their education. They like to learn.
There will be kids there who you haven’t had a chance to work with yet. Take a chance and connect with them as much as you can. You might see another perspective that could be valuable later in your career.
Focus on Preparation for Next Year
Summer school is a great way to prepare for the coming school year. In the students’ case, make sure you sell them on the fact that they will see the summer content come August, giving them a leg up on their classmates.
It’s also an opportunity to backtrack, bolstering skills that they might be struggling on without having the stigma of holding back their normal classes.
Prepare for Fall Semester
Take this opportunity to experiment with differentiation and more personalized learning. Summer school programs often feature online components, so consider experimenting with some blended learning as well.
Make Space for Fun & Laughter
There is no reason not to use the same engagement strategies in the summer that you would during the school year. Get to know the kids. Laugh and joke. Make an effort to connect. You might be the first teacher they have that actually gets to know them in a positive way. That can make a big difference in their future.
More Summer School Ideas & Inspiration
Use your summer school class to find new lesson plans or try out some new activities. Keeping kids engaged during the summer months can be tough, but with some creativity and care, they may look back on their time in school as a positive experience. Be sure to check out the other summer school ideas on the Inspiration & Planning topic page.
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