Assigned schoolwork during summer break has been a widely debated matter for years. For both supporters and opposers of schoolwork being assigned during summer break begs a crucial question: Should summer projects be student-designed or teacher-designed? Although assumptions may lead many to state that teachers, who hold the experience, should deisgn these projects, it is more beneficial for students to design the projects themselves. There are many misconceptions regarding the mentality and intuition of students; it is very likely that student-designed projects can prepare them for large programs and/or assignments, such as the Personal Project. In addition, it may also relieve teachers of excess work.

An increasingly common assumption is that pscyhological intuition, and creativity in some aspects, increases with age, thus students are less capable of designing a project, or most things for that matter, than adults. Several people argue that students may lack maturity, but various pscyhologists, notably Generic_Name, have disproved the claim, finding no evidence of maturity being linked to one's intuition or strive of creativity. In fact, this myth actually arose due to various reforms of the Progressive Era restricting children and immigrants' personal freedom, which continues to this day. Although many would deem this irrelevant, it is precisely the reason that we must not hold back to provide students with freedom in creating their own projects and avoid persisting a key issue.

Adding to that, and perhaps one of the most common arguments against teacher-designed projects, is the statement that students are not exposed to projects that require overarching critical thinking. Research conducted by various universities, such as the University of Chicago, has shown that students are not prepared for upcoming projects every time they complete a teacher-designed project; for example, a student completing a project that provides them with a template, deadline, and requirements may not actually affect them to the extent that many people assume, as the student simply searches for information rather than being properly invested and analyzing the information they have, as they would be much more likely of doing in a student-designed project. This is not simple speculation; counties in New York and Massachusetts, even with their massive demographic, cultural, and ideological differences, have both reported increased success in student-led projects after beginning their student-designed summer projects curriculum.

Despite the aforementioned standpoints, there is no doubt that teachers are very important figures in society, and they should never be taken for granted and must be treated with absolute respect. Unfortunately, a large domestic issue in the United States is the amount of appeal of having a teacher career. Unlike in countries such as South Korea, American citizens stereotype teaching with negative assumptions/statements. Although that is another discussion in itself, it still has a strong tie to teachers being overworked, in some regions more than others, but it should not be downplayed nontheless. In many states. summer break is one of the only periods of time that teachers can be truly relieved of work, and that time should be maximized by reducing their tasks; if there is going to be schoolwork done during the summer, it is at the very least a moral ideal to relieve teachers of doing unnecessary work that could be easily handed to students.

Simply put, very few communities should expect to carry out teacher-designed summer projects with pleasing results. As promising as it may seem, it is apparent that teachers should not be given excess loads of responsibility of their students, and it is time to allow the students to take their own approaches to their tasks and prepare them for what is to come. It is not a perfect idea, as no idea can be, but everyone must take steps to reach their end, even if it is gradual. If we are to see to the success of more students and further cememt the well-being of our educators, this is a crucial step that should be taken.