How a progressive curriculum keeps students motivated

As you all know, the –ber months are upon us. You know what this means – Christmas is just around the corner, and everybody – students, teachers, and parents – are all looking forward to the long vacation! In fact, the vacations have already sprouted up, what with the consecutive long weekends we’ve been having. While these mini vacations are always welcome, as it allows students to get their much-needed and well-deserved rest from school activities, one can’t help but be concerned that all these breaks from school can distract them from their academic activities. 

It can be tricky to go back to having a learning mindset when they come from long weekends filled with out of town trips and days of spending time in the mall or playing their favorite video games. The key to keep them from being totally distracted? A good dose of motivation and a progressive curriculum that ensures they stay productive even during their breaks.

The beauty of having a progressive curriculum is that it allows for a lot of creative ways to get students to learn. Learning does not necessarily have to be confined within the four walls of the classroom, too, and it doesn’t have to stop. One sneaky (but brilliant) way to keep students productive through their breaks is to assign fun activities that don’t feel like school work, but will be graded. 

Like ask them to watch a certain movie or TV show and have them write a reaction paper about it when they get back. Or tell them to take photos of the places they are able to visit so that they can make a scrapbook for art class. You can also ask them to document their fun activities through video or photography and have them write a short paper about it, or use creative captions to help practice their descriptive writing skills.

Another way to ensure that students never stop learning during their break, while keeping them physically active, is to require them to engage in a new sport or some sort of fun physical activity, and having them demonstrate what they learned in class when they get back. 

For students who love to read, assign a fun, light book for them to read – perhaps the Harry Potter series or the Percy Jackson series – and have them prepare a short report when they get back. Students who are into craft making can create something – a small clay sculpture, some artwork, or handmade accessories – so that they can talk about it in class.Those who have culinary inclinations can be assigned a new recipe to try, or maybe have them do a short video demo just like the ones on Tasty so that they can literally have their cake and eat it, too!

Keeping students motivated and always adaptive of a learning mindset is one of our goals. As a progressive school in Mandaluyong, we make learning engaging and fun so that students are always looking forward to the learning process. Contact us for more information about our progressive curriculum and how it can help your child.