I struggle with this and other end of the year traditions for many reasons: for some kids, school (not home) provides a safe nurturing environment; what message are we inadvertently sending about school and a love of learning; is the interruption to/loss of instruction worth these fun themed activities; and we pack up the library as well as the classrooms – what good do books do locked up all summer in an empty school?
In almost every school regardless of the economic stability of the families the school serves, there are some kids who do not feel safe and nurtured in their home environment. School provides a structure and a place to be seen and heard. So, for some students, the idea of “summer off” is not welcome. Instead of exploring different learning opportunities outside of the classroom like museums, zoos, and such; summer entails being cooped up at home with video games and perhaps not enough food. Counting the days until summer only increases anxiety not excitement. Could schools be doing something better to help these kids make the transition with less anxiety?
Does the end of the year countdown inadvertently send the message that school is bad or boring? Especially when the countdown is filled with theme days like, “Crazy Hair Day, PJ Day, Game Day”—are we saying we need fun alternatives to spice-up the day because learning in and of itself is not fun or exciting? The countdown always seems to emphasize getting out of school to begin the summer, instead of emphasizing ways in which we can continue be curious joyful learners over the summer as well. Perhaps “M is for Museum Day”—let’s learn about all the museums in the area you can visit over the summer and find one or two that offer free admission days for our families that live in poverty.
Once we start the countdown, both kids and teachers seem to “check-out” and valuable instructional time is lost. Both kids and teachers begin packing up for a quick get-away when the last bell rings. The countdown encompasses 15% of the school-year where instructional time loses focus and engagement. This does not include all the additional time lost with functions like standardized testing, breakfasts and snacks, assemblies, etc. Allington (2007) cites the statistic that approximately one-third of the available academic time is consumed by nonacademic functions. That is a staggering amount. Teachers need “safe” blocks of instructional time that are not disturbed. One thing I firmly believe in, everyone—every teacher, every staff member—should be with kids from the first day of school until the last. Collective bargaining agreements should include teacher pay for one or two days before school to set-up classrooms and one or two days after school to close-up, so neither of these occurs when school is “in-session”—they cause all of us to lose focus, engagement, and effectively shorten the year.
Working in a Title I school, where most kids do not have books at home and do not have access to books over the summer, I am so deeply saddened by how we put every book back on the shelf, take inventory, and locked up the school library. I am also equally as guilty of doing this with my classroom library. Why not check out 5-10 books to each student for summer reading? Even if every book does not get returned in the fall, replacing the books is still more inexpensive than summer school and some studies show access to books can prevent summer slide. We can so easily take a huge step towards closing the achievement gap and minimizing summer slide!
I find myself rethinking my end of the year routines. No matter how good, or bad, the year was together, by the time summer arrives, everyone needs a little break—from the daily grind, but not from lifelong learning. Curious joyful learning should be a habit, a part of our identity, and summer should be filled with exploration in a different classroom.
No comments:
Post a Comment