With warmer weather combined with the last quarter of the school year, students and teachers start counting the days until summer break. The monotony of daily homework, interspersed with grade impacting, year-end projects, can challenge any student to stay focused. Parents often raise concerns that they’re making more frequent “reminders” about homework deadlines and trying to rein their student inside for homework.
Spring “school-itis” is common and survivable. Teachers can experience it, as much as students. Acknowledging “school-itis” can help students, teachers and parents find effective solutions more efficiently.
Here’s a few tips to help students balance break time with study time:
- Talk with teachers about the skills and concepts a student most needs improving in the class. Prioritize study time to work on those areas first.
- Teach students research skills, particularly how to determine a credible source of information on the Internet and how to find relevant information in books, in order to streamline research projects, without undercutting the quality.
- Create study groups. Students who have to teach a concept to another has higher comprehension. Establishing a separate Facebook page or Pinterest board can help students share ideas and teach each other, without having to find a common meeting time in their busy schedules.
The school year follows a predictable rhythm, and spring “school-itis” is just a part. Not fighting its symptoms will help students, teachers and parents work together and make a strong finish to the school year.
