The sun is blazing, what a great day to go to the pool. That isn't an option because instead high school students need to make sure they meet check points for their summer break project. Assignments that are given to over summer break should be student designed. If projects are student designed they can work it around their schedule better, play to their learning style, and be motivated.

Over the summer everyone has some sort of plan. Whether its family vacation, a job, or studying for the SAT, there is always one hectic part during summer break. With projects in the mix too it can get chaotic juggling it all. If students are allowed to create their own schedule and check points to better work around their summer, the more likely it is for the assignment to be finished. This summer I went to Africa for a month to a remote village to help build a school. For the entire month I could not have any connection to anything, since service was 4 hours away. The reason why I didn't sign up for AP's was because I would not have been able to turn in my work by those checkpoints. If I had been able to have the single requirement of having it all done before school started I would be in AP classes right now. While some assignments may be created by teachers to make sure their students actually get their work done, it can end up hurting more than helping. If students are allowed design their own checkpoints for summer assignments the results would turn out better.

Every student learns differently. Whether they are a kinetic or aural learner there is no way to tailor an education style to target everyone. If students were given a broad topic such as do research on the Peruvian rebellions during the 1970's, it gives students the freedom to tailor to their own needs. They would be learning the same topic, just taking different routes to get there. In marching band we were given a similar concept. When learning and teaching people how to march it can be difficult to get this learn this new technique of walking. We walk everyday, so to break this habit can be difficult. Some rookies need to be taught by telling what they need to do, while others would prefer that they learn how to do it by watching an example. Everyone learns in a different way, and if students are able to design their own way of learning, it can lead to better understanding their summer assignment.

No history teacher gets excited reading an essay that their student was very obviously not devoted to. The same applies to students. Students do not want to spend their one big break from school studying a topic they aren't motivated in. When students are forced to do something motivation goes out the window. The final result is not pleasureable for a kid to do, and not something a teacher will want to grade and give feedback on. An example I've often heard is that whenever students are assigned a book that they must read, it can make the experience of not as enjoyable. This happened to me my freshman year. We were reading

To Kill a Mocking Bird . I purposefully had waited to read it because I wanted it to give my own, fresh analysis when we discussed in class. When the first quiz came I was excited to write down the points that I had come up with. The actual test questions were all based on small details that would have to be memorized in order to get the correct answers. I was so terrified that I wasn't going to do well on the quizzes that instead of reading and enjoying myself, I was stuck trying to memorize information so I wouldn't fail that quarter. I didn't enjoy reading anymore and by the end of the unit I had stopped reading the book entirely. There was nothing I was gaining from memorizing lines, and I had no motivation to do that. If students are allowed to design their own over the summer projects they can tailor it to what they most enjoy. I'm sure there are some that like to see where the author wants the book to be taken, while others prefer to read a book and see what they grasp from it. The more students are able to enjoy their work the more motivated they will be to learn.

Some may say that it is better that the summer assignments are teacher designed, that way it is confirmed that everyone learns the information they need to by the time they need to do it. This teaches nothing to students. Later on in life they will not have a textbook to read on how to solve their problems, they will need to be creative and navigate their way through on their own. This can apply to personal issues or in the work place too. Students need to start learning more about themselves and how they work. There is no better time to learn then when they have adults that can help them when they need

Time management, motivation, and learning styles are all things students need to learn about themselves. For over the summer assignments students should be allowed to design their own projects so that it works best for them. These are all skills they will need to learn eventually, so why not let them start figuring it out now?