text: Summer assignments can be designed by the teachers in a way to ensure that the teachers can learn about their students and their skill sets prior to the start of the class. When the teachers know more about the students, it can make the experience of the students and teachers more pleasant. My English teacher in grade eight made her students write two paragraphs about themselves as a part of their summer assignment. Then, she was able to use a more personalized way to teaching when students did not understand a certain topic. She did this because, by her experience, it is easier for students to learn about a topic when it relates to them. This was part of the reason she was one of the more successful teachers in the schools in terms of grades and standardized test scores. Teachers can also use the summer assignments to get a gauge at the level of comfort of the students with the course material before the course starts. My Algebra 2 teacher shared with her class that she gives out summer assignments so that she can see how much her students know the concepts. By doing this she was able to see the level her students were at with their knowledge, and she planned some classes to spend extra time on those concepts to help strengthen that knowledge. The teachers used their summer assignments they designed to help them better the learning of their students.