As a young girl summer projects had always taunted me. I've always hated that the summer projects were so hard that I can only answer 2 questions out of the 50 question packet. These packets made me feel like I wasn't smart enough , even though they were there to help me. And the fact that if I were to complete the packet teachers wouldn't ask for it and that bugged me so much. Although some may believe otherwise struggling students , My friend's experience , and my own experience proves that summer projects should be student-designed.

Struggling students proves that summer projects should be student-designed. Summer projects are here to help us and keep us learning .When a student struggles in that subject area where the project was given these students would struggle and then become discouraged to continue making them feel small. Student-designed summer projects would target the areas they struggle in to help them succeed. Some people may say that these type of students will still struggle with or without student-designed work . In some cases this may be the case but student designed work will target trouble factors but teacher-designed will through a whole curriculum at you.

My friend's experience also proves that student-designed projects are the way to go. In the summer of 2019 my friend Generic_Name was given an Algebra 2 summer project packet to complete. Knowing that math isn't her strong suit she still attempted the summer assignment. As she went along the packet the questions were getting harder and harder for her to complete. She had never seen questions like this before so she got discouraged. Out of 100 math questions she only completed 10. She was beaten. How was she as a junior to remember the math curriculum from freshman year. So she tried to use online resources to help her but she still couldn't understand. The packet was never completed. Some people may say she shouldv'e gotten a tutor, but not a lot of people can afford a tutor to help them.

Lastly my own experience is why summer projects should be student-designed and not teacher-designed. As I said earlier teacher-designed packets made me feel like I wasn't smart enough and that they so hard that I can answer only 2 questions out of the 50 question packet. Teacher-designed packets are meant to introduce you to the curriculum for the upcoming year for that subject area. So that means harder problems. But student-designed packets are targeting problems areas and are helpful and designed to the student personally which means more understanding and helpful. Most of the time content that is understanding and shaped for that specific student's learning is what is best for them. I know that if a curriculum was shaped for me and how I learn I would understand that subject way better. Some people may say that its too much work to shape a curriculum based off how the student learns and that the student would need to learn to adapt to it .But if you were to do that grades and testing scores would rise because students are doing better.

This is really important. Adapting the way students learn could possibly change ones future. In the past learning was state designed. They thought they knew the most effective way of a students way of learning but ended up hurting us. Student-designed summer assignments will help us grow in our education and succeed. We can start taking action now. Teachers can be more understanding and states should lookk to students to see how they could change the learning that fits to their students. After all we are the future of America.