Reason #1: No Standardized Test At The End. At the end of the course there is no high-stakes, climatic test that necessitates rote review, robs the class of instruction time, and triggers an ambiance of teacher-student stress. Students learn for the right reasons and sometimes the class took a turn along the way that neither the teacher nor the students foresaw. Some might say this is a lack of discipline and planning on the teacher’s part. What I have found is that organic learning where student interest is stoked and explored, where teachers have the dexterity to link learning and life, and where stress is replaced by joy, is a winning recipe for growth. I am no Freddy Shoop. But sometimes I do my best teaching during the summer months and something tells me my students do their best learning too.
