What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Abstract

T he first thing I notice is their agony at having awakened at such an early hour: At 8 a.m., my summer school students are dragging themselves into the classroom, knowing their peers are still in bed. The second thing I notice is the weariness in their eyes, not from awakening so early but from being veterans of failure. These students are not expecting this session of summer school be any different from past experiences. With only two weeks make an impact, I need get their buy-in immediately. Before we delve into class expectations, I want transport these students the future. We're going take a trip through time, I begin, to the first day of the new school year. You're wearing your new clothes, the school floors are perfectly waxed, you see your friends for the first time in awhile; it's just like every other year. Except this year, there is no dread in your guts. This year you feel different. You feel stronger, more confident, ready tackle tough academic problems before they become serious. Positive energy is flowing through you; your friends notice it. Well, how did you get there? I hold up a copy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide. Reading this book could transform your life. Some of the ideas in this book could change how you look at yourself and the way you live. This other book-and here I hold up A Separate Peace-will hit you like a ton of bricks. That's what it did me when I