It's our final countdown to the printing of Brainspace Magazine. Our long-awaited and anticipated inaugural issue.
Though this is the height of excitement for Brainspace staff, it doesn't trump what June really stands for.
In the immortal words of Alice Cooper, "School's Out For the Summer."
June marks the final month of a completed school year. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and once again we look back with a sense of accomplishment. Teachers and students are counting down the days on their blackboards to summer break.
There is a communal buzz at the impending break from day to day routine and studies.
Most teachers would jest that it might be easier to teach a donkey to fly than it would be to teach new lessons to children in June. With the palpable excitement in the air, the results would likely prove to be similar.
June is dedicated to review and final exams. The results of those exams will be passed on to the next teacher in the coming grade.
In September, teachers review. Typically, the initial two to three weeks of September are dedicated to getting the sparks going and normalizing the classroom to a daily routine.
Traditionally June, July, August and September are not optimal months for new learning. Add to these the winter holiday break with its preceding concerts/plays and parties and it is fair to assume that December is the winter equivalent of June.
Realistically, there are 7 months when children are truly primed for new learning.
Take away the hours required for field trips, school events, fundraisers like Hoops for Heart, Dance-a-thons and teachable hours for core subjects are dwindling.
Though extra-curricular activities are all a crucial part of learning, there is a limited pool of hours that is allocated to core subject learning. From that pool, we dedicate time to specialties such as music, physical education/health, art and French. Finally, the 3Rs are given the remainder of the hours. It is easy to understand why teachers often feel hurried to ensure their students meet curriculum expectations.
According to a recent study conducted by Brainspace Magazine, 73% of Ontario parents feel that their child would benefit from extra tutoring stating reasons ranging from dissatisfaction with their child's academic performance to needing to accelerate their child's learning.
We'd like to hear your feedback on one of the following topics:
- pilot schools that have frequent short breaks in the year rather than one long break in the summer
- extra learning methods - if any - that you use at home
Watch for Brainspace Magazine in August. Visit our website to request a copy of our first issue.
