Summer School Tips and Resources for New Teachers (Social Studies)
I remember my first summer school job. I was still in grad school. When I was hired to teach summer school Civics at a respected high school, I felt like I won the lottery. I knew a lot was riding on my performance as a teacher. I wanted to do a good job for my students. Also, this was my first paid position as a teacher. I wanted to do a STELLAR job. I was hoping for a glowing letter of recommendation when I completed the summer session. (Spoiler alert: all of my students passed Civics and I got the glowing letter of recommendation!)
One thing I learned from my student teacher advisor, who was a wealth of invaluable advice, was to always be prepared. He said not only should you plan...you should over-plan. He said if you don't get through an entire lesson during your scheduled time, you can most likely finish the following day. BUT, if you finish early, especially if you are a new teacher without a repertoire of so-called "tools" in your toolbox ready to use those last 10 (or more) minutes of class, those empty minutes can be awkward at best and a classroom management nightmare at worst.
Other advice for brand-new summer school teachers:
It's important to have everything ready to go in advance. Make a list of what you need. Don't assume everything you need will be waiting for you. It is summer after all. The computer lab you planned to use might not be available or the cabinets filled with art supplies might be locked! Figure out how many copies of materials you need. Ask someone in advance where you can run your copies. If your students need access to computers, secure a lab in advance. If you need art supplies, let your supervisor know what you need in advance. You do not want to be scrambling for materials with a classroom full of students staring at you, growing increasingly impatient as the minutes tick by.
Be organized. I use file folders and wire baskets to organize my materials. (Milk crates work great too!) I label everything. For every lesson, I place my labeled folders with the materials I plan to use in my wire basket. (I have a separate basket for each class I teach.) I make sure everything is in chronological order. This system works for me. Use whatever system works for you.
The lesson itself: Break your lesson into chunks and plan meaningful, engaging activities. YES, this applies to summer school too. My intro activities in summer school are super simple and sometimes silly. (I generally teach more than one class at the same time so simplicity is important.) I start each day with a bell-ringer (or bell work/ do now) which I post in my summer school Google Classroom. Sometimes my bell-ringer question or task pertains to the lesson and sometimes it's something goofy! I almost always use Google forms for my bell-ringers.
The bulk of the period/hour is devoted to the main lesson. Since I often manage multiple classes at the same time during summer school, I do not do a lot of direct instruction. I spend most of my time providing support to students who need it. My lessons often take the form of hyperdocs/hyperslides, stations activities, and gallery walks. (Summer school students REALLY do not like sitting around for long periods of time. Get them up and moving if you can!)
At the end of the period, I wrap things up with a short whole-group discussion and I answer any final questions students may have about the lesson.
Summer school doesn't have to "suck." In my experience with summer school (and I've been doing it a long time), most students don't mind summer school and some even enjoy it if it is done well! Seriously. I have students who ask to join my summer school classes! Have fun. If you can, take your students outside whenever possible! (My current school has a beautiful courtyard. I love to take my students outside to read or even just enjoy a short break)
Lastly, you can never go wrong with freeze pops or popsicles! (Ask your supervisor first! Who knows, he/she might even pay for them!)
Happy summer school teaching!
Here are a few pics of activities I am using with my World History summer school students:
Click HERE to access my Summer School Social Studies agenda.
Click HERE to access my U.S. History Summer School Agenda
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