I can’t support the “countdown to summer vacation.” I’m not saying everyone should stop it, just sharing why I think it’s a bad idea.
I love the idea of building positive momentum, but the countdown does just the opposite – it hampers momentum and puts some pretty negative agreements in place. Some problems with “the countdown:”
- It promotes the idea that learning is an event, not a life-long pursuit. I speak with our AIS staff frequently about how students show skills in isolation, but when dropped back into the classroom, they struggle to make the transfer. The countdown supports the notion that we learn for school and not for life. This is the exact opposite of what we want students to believe.
- Not every kid is happy about school being over. Sure, not everyone LOVES school, but plenty of students are walking into absolute uncertainty as summer hits. Some struggle knowing where their next meal will come from, others if they’ll see their friends, and still others if they will be safe. The struggle our students face isn’t magically healed because it’s summer. “Celebrating” the end of feeds anxiety and trauma for many students.
- School isn’t a jail sentence. There’s a phrase among prisoners serving life sentences: “You got nothing coming.” This may be extreme, but let’s get real, the countdown indicates that students are being “held” in school and that the future is “freedom.” I think this takes away from being in the moment and pushes the thought that tomorrow can somehow be better without school.
- The check-out behavior and disruption in routine are real. Again, a chance to get real. When students see the “end is near,” the poor choices ramp up. This is for a variety of reasons from feeling like there are no consequences, to actively trying to detach from a teacher they’ve spent nine months with. Kids and adults THRIVE on routines. With already varied routines at the end of the year, adding another layer of change creates even more challenges.
Again, I’m not stating the countdowns should be stopped, just saying it’s worth a conversation about why we do it and if it is even necessary.
Sean D'Abreu 