Summer projects or summer assignments are projects or assignments that are given to students over the summer to help them remember what they've done the previous year. The assignments may also prepare students for what they will learn in the upcoming year. That being said, summer projects or assignments should be teacher-designed rather than student-designed because it'll better prepare them in the upcoming class, teachers know the subject matter better than students, and because teachers will make it education a priority.

The first reason on why summer assignments should be teacher-designed is that it will better prepare them in the upcoming class. As said above some assignments prepare students for the upcoming year. The assignments show the students what they might be working on at the beginning of the year. They show the students on what they might need to touch base on or review before coming to class. A student-designed summer assignment wouldn't be able to do that because the student doesn't know the specifics of what they will be learning in the upcoming class. They might know the basics because of a previous course but they will not be able to prepare themselves for new material like a teacher can.

Another reason why summer assignments should be teacher-designed is because the teachers know the subject matter better than students do. Teachers have gone through high school and college, they have degrees in the subject they teach. Summer assignments should be about the subject you're learning. A student would not know more than a teacher because they haven't went through the necessary training or certifications to become a qualified teacher. Teachers know more than students so the summer assignment would be better made by the teacher who knows the subject matter better than the students. Teachers also know what to give to students over the break. It is a well thought out plan and it has to be a good one so they can use it again in future years.

While some people agree with the idea of having teacher-designed summer projects, there are some people who don't. Others believe that summer projects should be student-designed because they are the students and they should dictate what they do over the summer because it's exactly that: summer. They feel as though students shouldn't be brought upon the heavy workloads teachers would give them, instead create their own assignment for each class to assure that they are still learning while not having as much work. Although that is a good argument for why summer assignments should be student-designed, there are other factors that go into it. Some teachers may give lots of work over the break but it is all for a good cause: better education. Education is the number one priority in a teachers eye.

When teachers give lots of work over the break they are assuring that you are learning while still having fun over the summer. When students go back to school after a long break rather than not knowing or remembering any of the course material, students will be better prepared because of all the work given over the summer.

The debate about wether or not summer projects or assignments should be teacher-designed or student-designed is wildly spread in the world. Summer assignments should be teacher-designed because it'll better prepare the students in the upcoming class, teachers know the course material better than the students, and because teachers make education a number one priority.