Why Summer is Perfect for Professional Development
All educators know that summer is a magical time to decompress, relax, and recharge to prepare for the next year. It can be a time of reflection and celebration for another successful year completed. But what the rest of the world may need to realize is that teachers always continue learning and growing, and summer becomes a perfect time to recoup time necessary for professional growth in the educational field.
Because there are so many variables in education, such as different groups of students starting at varying levels, new mandates from schools and legislation, and even differences from year to year in veteran teaching for individuals, professional development is so important to the craft of teaching. Professional development can enhance classroom instruction, whether it is a new course one is teaching or a high-level Advanced Placement (AP) course that needs to be strengthened after data review of scores and curriculum.
Ways to Get in Some PD Over Summer Break
Webinars, Workshops
During the summer break, time can be dedicated to attending conferences and workshops, which allows one to avoid becoming sedentary. Opportunities abound for virtual instruction during those downtimes at the beach or even on the drives to favorite vacation spots.
Webinars are perfect examples of short bursts of professional development. They don’t require an abundant amount of time and can be completed in 30–60-minute time periods. Online communities for educators, such as edWeb, the Library of Congress, among hundreds of other legitimate websites, provide research-based strategies that educators can implement in their classrooms.
Several of these programs are offered for free, which allows instantaneous access anytime, anywhere one has an internet connection. These perfectly designed collections can accelerate or guide teachers to enhance their portfolios.
Podcasts
Another potential for inspiration and change pertains to professional podcasts. There is not a better use of time than when one is driving, whether relatively short distances or longer vacation rides. The use of auditory media can enhance one’s comprehension for guiding instructional change for students.
These podcasts can range from inspirational “rediscovering the joy in teaching” content to examining texts in-depth for practical applications and even to comedic elements for building a creative classroom. And is there a better time to listen than when one is basking in the sun at the local pool or, better yet, on the beaches near bodies of water when one is feeling their best in life?
Books
For those who like tactile experiences, thousands of books are waiting to be opened detailing the stories to improve one’s teaching practices. Professional development books can support classroom management, which is often a struggle for beginning teachers.
They can sharpen teaching skills, build empathy in shared understanding, and even help transition between teaching levels, jobs from district to district, or the movement for teachers into administration. Publications of all sizes provide the ability to rejuvenate and entertain throughout the summer months, which ultimately helps prepare for the start of another school year.
In-Person Conferences
Possibly one of the best and most reinvigorating ways to develop professionally is to attend in-person conferences and organized events. Meeting face-to-face with other educational professionals can build the common understanding of what it is we do in the teaching career. Sharing frustrations with strategies to dig out of those attitudes, laughing over mutual hilarious classroom antics, building knowledge regarding new techniques and expectations, enhancing the ability to manage large groups of students, to name a few, can be cathartic in the teaching profession.
These types of conferences are specifically designed for educators who want to develop and build upon their skills, while also providing occasions to break bread with each other. Learning about changing instructional practices, or including data in the classrooms, or re-envisioning the reasons behind assessing students are all reasons to review, reflect, and grow.
Too many topics exist to list but whether one wants to build their media capabilities (and to be honest, in order to engage students nowadays, we need to incorporate flashy and short bursts of media forms that includes skill-building and teaches ethical online behaviors) to discovering resources that support instruction on standards and skills, summer is the perfect time to keep the motivation moving forward for those in the classroom.
For those who are truly driven, actually teaching any of these courses or providing your own podcast (which is not as hard as it might sound) may provide the ultimate energizing exposure to educators. To teach one’s peers and enlighten them with stories, interactions, restorative practices, anything that builds upon their experiences or simply motivates them to desire stronger teaching methodologies is a true and purposeful goal.
And we cannot forget about those lifelong learners who engage in college courses or enroll in formal degree programs, those education junkies who pursue accreditations, certificates, and endorsements and receive the full cognitive exposure to any and all topics in the educational profession. Nothing can be more energizing than rubbing elbows with others who focus entirely on being the best possible teacher in every capacity.
The fast pace of the nine months with students can be unnerving, stressful, enjoyable, and rewarding but that promise of summer vacation around every corner is the perfect time to envelop oneself in the folds of professional development. Whether you are sipping on an adult drink by the pool or driving children around to exciting activities, those professional development webinars, podcasts, conferences, and novels are waiting with a world of positive aspects that will encourage and support you in your educational journey.
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