Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes 11 seconds (638 words)
Target Audience: Teachers and Coaches
A Backstory
At the time of this post, I will have fourteen days left of school before summer break. I’m eagerly awaiting slower mornings, time away from school email, and a respite from the physical, mental, and emotional weight of teaching. I like a solid break between my school-year and summertime self.
And yet.
I’ve grown to appreciate summer as a way to continue growing a writing community with my students. Over the school year, my students and I have built something good, and I don’t want us to lose it.
Please note: I’m not the first to address summer writing on this site. Far from it! There’s a wealth of posts that explore student summer writing from many perspectives (see my chart below). Still, the ideas I’m sharing have grown into traditions for me and my students. Hopefully my activities, along with others I’ve linked, will inspire you and your students to do the same.
The Details
Reflecting on the Year
The end of a school year is a powerful time for reflection. Like many teachers, I look forward to learning how my students see their own growth as writers and as people.
I have two separate activities that I use for reflection. The first is a spring writing survey that I give to intermediate students. On this survey, I ask kids to think about how they grew and changed as writers. Furthermore, I ask them about their writing experiences, both with me and in their home rooms. What should stay the same? What do they wish were different?
I like to share feedback – both positive and constructive – with my colleagues. As for me, I use student responses to consider the pacing and structure of writing workshop from year to year.
The other tradition I’ve built in for fifth-graders is a handwritten letter to me. I invite students to consider what they’ve learned about themselves, both as writers and as people. I don’t read kids’ letters right away. Rather, I wait until that point in the summer when I realize how much I miss them. And when I do, I find their letters are a deep and meaningful glimpse into how my students see themselves at that moment in time.
In the years since COVID, I’ve started writing my students back. This task is a sacred one to me, as I can express my gratitude for what each of them has brought me over the years. My responses allow me to speak directly to my students and their talents in a way I could never do through a report card comment. Will they take my words to heart? Will they keep my letters? I don’t know, but I save and treasure theirs.
Summer Experiences
As part of the writing survey, I offer three different opportunities to interested students:
- Be a “snail mail” pen pal with me
- Participate in an online writing group with me and other students
- Informally share writing with me
An important element of this survey is that I ask students their interest before I gather parent permission, especially for the online writing group. I am a staunch believer in the need to take a full break over the summer. This is important for students who put a great deal of pressure on themselves to achieve. When a student participates in an additional writing opportunity, I want it to be because they are genuinely interested, and not because a grown-up in their life is requiring them to.
Right now, I have ten pen pals, seven online writing members, and five students interested for this summer. It’s roughly the same the number I have from last year. I can’t wait to get started!
One Final Thing
Summer is an important time to rest, regather, rejuvenate. It’s also a time, I’ve found, to enjoy my students and the community we’ve built in a freer, more relaxed state. Hopefully, you’ll find ideas you’d like to use, either from my activities or from the many suggestions below.
And, as always, if you have other ideas that work well for you and your writers, please post them in the comments below.
Happy writing!
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