Reducing graded classwork, increasing participation-based grading, and focusing on student engagement through relationships with teachers may help curb 12th grade burnout this year, some faculty say.
The end-of-year slump, colloquially called “senioritis,” usually happens during the second semester, when most seniors have already submitted college applications or received acceptances.
“Burnout by this point in the year is without a doubt real,” said Dr. Keith Harris, 11th Grade Dean and History Department Chair, who teaches 12th grade Topics in United States History and History of Los Angeles. “They’re winding their high school careers down, their minds are elsewhere.”
Dr. Harris has encountered similar patterns among his senior classes as the year progresses and structures their grading each semester to align with their changing energy and focus, he said.
A large part of his senior class’s first-semester grades is based on participation, incentivizing students to take part in class discussions and collaborate on class projects, he said. By second semester, he assigns fewer long-term projects and shifts towards shorter in-class activities.
Dr. Harris has found that this approach encourages involvement while keeping assignments manageable during the final stretch of the year.
“After years of academic demands, high expectations, and intense pressure, many students feel exhausted mentally and emotionally,” Mrs. Verity Weisz, English and Honors Art History teacher, said.
Mrs. Weisz stopped grading classwork last year for her seniors during their final few weeks. This year, she plans to instead require daily participation, consistent in class check-ins, and more manageable assignments completed during class time. She said the goal is to keep students accountable without overwhelming them with homework.
The slump can be especially disruptive in some classes that have students from multiple grades. As 12th graders become less engaged, Mrs. Weisz said that inconsistent senior attendance makes it hard to grade multi-grade projects fairly.
“With activities such as group work, I don’t want to put them in a group with other students,” she said. “It’s not fair if they aren’t showing up and putting little to no effort on group assignments and projects.”
Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg, Judaic Studies teacher and 12th Grade Dean, said that with focus less on grades and more on connection with the class material and strong relationships with their teachers, students are more likely to stay present within the classroom.
“I believe that learning should not just be about getting a grade,” Rabbi Schwarberg said. “It should be learning to better yourself as a person, to open your mind, to understand different perspectives.”
