At the end of a recent school leadership meeting, I felt a heavy weight from my fellow colleagues as the end of the year grind hit full steam. One colleague even said,
I want to feel motivated, I want my students to feel motivated, but there’s so much to do in the next two weeks and they’re tired and I’m tired. We’ve worked so hard, but it’s the end of the year…I want to end on a positive note and I want my students to, as well.
This statement really struck me because of it’s honesty and that it came from one of our hardest working teachers. She does so much for her students, coaches sports, and is a key leader in the building…and she was exhausted; not sure how to end the year in a way deserving of her students. Others nodded in agreement sharing similar thoughts.
At that particular moment we were discussing the possibility of creating a book study around George Couros’ book The Innovator’s Mindset and trying to decide the best possible time to start. In this moment, we were all feeling that strange transition time between one year and the next; gearing up for the changes, new students, and new policies and still focus on the needs of closing out the current year.
We’re all in this same boat, whether your school year is ending today as it does for my cousin who is retiring after 32 years of teaching or continues through most of June as it does for my district that ends on June 13th. I wanted to share some ways to feel motivated and start summer on a good note.
- First and foremost read “Not This Year” by Jon Harper. You’ll feel better starting with this.
- Talk with your students. Ask if there’s something from the year they would like to go back and learn more about. Or try something new such as a new tech tool or strategy. If it doesn’t work, talk about why and problem solve together how it could be done differently.
- Participate in summer professional development. Most districts have some form of summer learning. I helped create a two-day summer camp for teachers in my district known as Digicamp, which focuses on innovation and technology and allows participants to move to different sessions and “play” throughout the event. It’s very relaxed with snacks, games, and feels like a summer camp for adults. I also saw this summer workshop idea from Chesterfield County Schools outside Richmond, VA. I like this idea of having three hour sessions in either the morning or afternoon. It lets teachers pick what works best with their schedules.
- Check out an Edcamp! These are FREE experiences that allow teachers to network and learn from each other in a relaxed setting, sharing your experience, not your expertise! (You can also create your own if your district doesn’t have summer PD).
- Participate in FREE online conferences. There are several going on this summer like The Teach with Tech Conference and The Hive Summit! Check out my latest Tech Tuesday episode for all the info!
- Be part of a Twitter chat. These happen regularly, sometimes once a week depending on the organization, focus on specific topics and give teachers access to an instant supportive community. And you can literally be anywhere in the world to participate! Check out ISTE’s List of 40 Twitter Chats Worth Your Time.
- Listen to Podcasts. I just finished listening to The Shake Up Learning Show podcast where Kasey Bell describes how teachers are using #podcastPD to their advantage. Podcasts are the new learning staple and are highly mobile, allowing for easy listening in the car, at the gym, or making dinner.
- Watch YouTube. There are several channels on YouTube devoted to just teachers and teacher professional development. Get inspired watching these 10 YouTube Channels.
What other suggestions do you have for starting the summer off right?
Ms Priester EDU 