Teacher Training in the Summer

Teachers rarely take the summer off. Taking a class, reflecting and vacations provide educators ways to improve their teaching while away from the classroom.

We have all heard the joke about the best part of teaching being June, July and August. Usually, it means that the best part are 3 months of vacation - okay, 2 if you teach public school in New England. I have found that it is the best time for professional development, but not always through formal training.

On several occasions I have taken an online course or district workshop in the summer. Online courses provide the opportunity to take a class without having to travel or worry about class availability in my area. District workshops are a low stress way to collaborate with colleagues while gaining valuable professional development experience.

Last summer I decided to take the summer off. I stayed home, planning to do nothing school related. By August I realized that my summer vacation had become a relaxed way to improve myself professionally. I would spend some time web surfing for ideas, watching how children learned from their summer activities, and reflecting on my successes and failures.

This summer I have returned to my summer teaching position. Though I am still in the classroom I find the short summer classes allow me to try new ideas before using them in a full school year. I also am able to collaborate with other faculty members with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Relaxing during the summer can provide opportunities for reflecting. Vacations can be a way to experience history or different cultures and then bring those experiences into the classroom.

How do you improve your teaching during summer vacation?