As the year comes to a close, I am sure most of us have our mind's eye on something that looks a lot like this picture. As teachers and leaders, we have chosen a profession that challenges us each and everyday. A profession that pushes us to grow, reflect and question. We pour our heart and soul into this job, and while we are rewarded each and everyday by the smiles and laughter of our students, it is exhausting! The summer is a time to recharge the batteries, clear our minds and pursue our hobbies. It is also a perfect time for professional growth.
The summer months provide us with something that we all crave throughout the school year.... a four letter word that has has challenged quality professional development since the days of the one-room schoolhouse; TIME. The summer provides us with blocks of uninterrupted time. Time when no one is asking us if they can use the bathroom, when no one is crying because of an incident on the playground, no one needs their noses cleaned and no one is asking how to spell a word that has been on the word wall since September. And while summer is a time to get away from school and clear our heads, it also provides a great opportunity that we should not let slip away. We live in a dynamic time where information is growing at breakneck speed, society is changing, and people are interacting in new ways. Educators need to stay current on societal trends, educational research and educational theory. To stress this point, I have often asked the following question of individuals, "Would you want to go to a doctor who had not read a medical journal in the last 10 years?" Should we expect any different from those in the field of education? I believe that our profession requires the same degree of continuing professional growth, and with that thought in mind, I offer a few suggestions to help everyone on their journey of professional growth.
Read a Book
How many of us have time to dive into a professional book during the school year? Don't everyone raise their hands at once. I suggest that when choosing a book to read, you look for something that might change your thinking, shift your perspective or broaden your view. The summer is a time for reflection and thought; you should select a book that encourages this. I would suggest authors such as Daniel Pink, Sir Ken Robinson, Carol Dweck, Thomas Friedman and books like Whatever It Takes, Creating Innovators, and The Happiness Advantage. Don't look for a book that is narrowly focused on one teaching technique or practice. Those types of books are most worthwhile when you can practice with the concepts immediately and I don't think the neighborhood kids will be too psyched if you try and organize them on a hot day in July so that you can practice Talk Moves. Save those more focussed pedagodical books for the school year, when you can read a chapter and "practice" the strategies with your class.
Play around on the internet
Ever wish you could use technology more productively in your classroom? Ever thought it would be nice to have a classroom website? What has stopped you?... my guess ... that pesky time thing again. Occasionally it rains during the summer and you can't go to the beach, camp or mini-golf. Take a rainy day and build a website (I promise once you get started you will be surprised how fast it goes). Pick a service that already has pre-made templates where you can just fill in the information that is specific to your class One where the colors, organization and styling is already taken care of. Some great free services include Weebly, Google, and Yola. A rainy day in the summer is also great for surfing... web surfing that is. What units would you like to beef up? Open up the Google search engine and type something in. I usually just type my whole question, "What is the best website for teaching place value?" For the sake of this post I typed, "Can I take a virtual field trip to the Grand Canyon?" into Google. I stumbled upon the most amazing resource put together by the National Parks Service where you can take a virtual field trip with 360 panoramic views that you can control. Find those amazing sites during the summer when you have the time to surf without the pressure of a class about to return from lunch!
Experiment with social media
Have you made it onto Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn yet? If not, the summer is a great time to play around and learn. You may be a bit leery of using these services, and I can understand/appreciate that, but you would be surprised the amount of valuable information and support you can receive. While each of
these services can be used to share the most mundane and/or inappropriate aspects of people's lives; they also can be used to collaborate with people all around the world who are working on similar problems as we are. What everyone has to remember is Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms are tools. Just like a hammer can be used to build a house or as a weapon on the next episode of CSI, how the tool is used is in hands of the person. You can control how you use social media. For example, I use my Facebook page to stay in touch with family and friends, but Twitter and LinkedIn serve my professional life. I have used those two services to develop networks that I access for information, opinion, conversation, collaboration and as a means to stay current on the ever changing trends in education.
Don't miss the opportunity
Once September returns, and the school year commences, there will be plenty to distract us. Use the opportunity that the summer affords us to get to those things that you have not been able to. The pursuit of excellence requires growth, and it is up to each of us as professionals to pursue our own growth.
