Continue the connections this summer with these tips and tricks

Somehow we are coming to the end of another school year. It’s a time to close out, tie up loose ends, reflect on progress made, and look to the future. There is a sense of impatience and optimism this time of year—for students and teachers alike. But it can also be hard to say goodbye and lose the connections that were formed over the school year. 

The good news is… Along is a year-round resource! Check out these ways you can use Along this summer:

Continue using Along with your current students. 

You can maintain the bonds you have formed and  support them over the summer. Try a few questions you may not have had a chance to use during the school year like, If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? Why would you want to change that? or What’s something, or someone, that made you laugh recently?

For some, school continues over the summer. The following tips can help bridge connections in your summer school classes:

Add Along to your weekly summer school lesson plan.

Along can help teachers quickly build relationships with their students so they can be engaged in class and achieve academic gains. We know that summer school is short and it can be tempting to focus only on content, but taking a few minutes to connect with students can go a long way. 

These are a couple of our favorite questions to get you going:

1. Tell me about your name. Do you know where it came from?Is there a story behind it?
2. What activities re energize you when you need a break after a long or tiring activity?

Get students motivated with classroom activities.

In your summer school classes, think about ways to keep students interested. Summer school can be especially challenging for students who are repeating a class or feeling down about not having a full break before the next school year begins. Keep the vibe positive by building in “Energy Breaks” each morning or between elements of the lesson plan. Consider trying the Shake Down activity as a regular part of the summer school class routine. 

Connect over the “why” behind summer school content.

Even without a traditional class schedule, many students may need support in connecting the dots between the content they are learning and its applicability to the real world. Along is here to help with the Make School Meaningful activity. Students will reflect on how their learning is relevant to their lives in order to cultivate interest in academic subjects.

Just because summertime is upon us doesn’t mean Along has to end. It’s always time for Along!