Here’s what many of my seniors are saying right now (literally right now, I’m writing this as they’re working on portfolios):
1. “I-lost-my-brain.”
2. Some seniors aren’t even talking, they’re just making basketball motions, asking via body language if classmates want to shoot some hoops.
3. They talk in numbers…how many days are left in school for them.
4. Where are you working for the summer?
5. What flavor fro-yo does the cafeteria have?
AP week ends today, and seniors at my school (and probably everywhere) are done with school. As a senior teacher, I feel as if senioritis is like allergies–every year I think I’ll be immune, and every year I end up with it.
This year has been difficult because of the copious field trips, various AP tests, and seniors visiting colleges. Most of them are just ready to be done. It always feels a little anti-climactic. This is why I’m really glad I end my year with a senior portfolio–a retrospective of the writing career of each student. They need to write a reflective piece about how they’ve improved as a writer and what goals they have as they move on from high school. It provides some closure and also makes them really articulate who they are as writers and define their own personal style.
So, if you’re teaching seniors this year, best of luck in keeping them engaged–and hang in there, we’re almost done!
Posted by Kate, VP Secondary, PCTELA
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