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The last few weeks of the school year are often the most challenging. In addition to student behaviors, spring fever, and end of year exhaustion, many teachers also face the concern of the impending summer slide. It is difficult to look at a group of students who showed so much growth over the past nine months as they became a part of your daily routine and realize that they may lose much of the hard-earned gains you saw over summer break. However, there are some ways teachers can try to combat summer learning loss before it happens. 

Tips for Combating Summer Learning Loss:

• Keep students in a routine right up to the last minute.
• Send ideas for summer learning at home to parents. 
• Recommend books to students and turn it into a game that can be finished next school year.
• Give students a list of activities to complete over the summer, including writing to you.
• Have your students set summer goals and goals for next school year. 
• Give students a memento of the year to encourage continued learning. I used to write and laminate a poem incorporating all their names.

Most of us look forward to summer break with excitement, but a few weeks in, we begin to feel out of sorts without our routine and we often begin to worry about the upcoming school year. 

It is important that educators remember to take care of themselves during summer break and use it as a time to recharge and plan ahead to make the next school year even better for themselves and their students. 

Just like our students, a break in routine and change to our schedules can cause a lack of growth; - summer slide can happen for teachers too! So, what can you do to make sure you have the most relaxing, productive summer possible? 

Here are some tips:

• Set aside time for family and friends.
• Enjoy the natural healing of the outdoors.
• Keep your own learning alive in some way.
• Schedule lunch with colleagues.
• Get ahead on next year’s plans.

See the websites below for more ideas:

Preparing Students: https://blog.schoolspecialty.com/preparing-students-summer-break/

Fighting Boredom: https://www.weareteachers.com/teacher-bored-during-summer/

Top 10 Activities: https://www.thoughtco.com/during-summer-vacation-8342

Extended School Year (ESY): https://newstoryschools.com/blog/extended-school-year-avoiding-summer-slide 

Summer Routines: https://newstoryschools.com/blog/importance-routines-during-summer-break

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