Developing a Professional

It is midsummer, and many educators have taken much deserved vacation trips or basked in stress-free relaxation at home. About now they may be getting a bit bored with already established summer routines and are ready to insert a novel project into the rest of their summer break. Nothing too labor or time intensive is necessary, but an activity that can be refreshing and professionally beneficial is a wise way to utilize a flexible summer schedule and those stores of energy that have accumulated after a respite from a demanding school year.

This is the perfect time for some elective professional development that is fun, stimulating, and inspiring. Discovering nuggets of professional knowledge and helpful teaching tips and ideas can relieve a teacher of much stress in the upcoming school year and help solve those past nagging questions of "How can I handle this classroom situation more effectively and efficiently?".

Professional development can take many forms in addition to the traditional migration toward college campuses to cram in those required semester hours to keep a teacher license current or add endorsements. Even graduate class work can take an alternate spin with weekend only courses, all-day one or two week classes, or convenient online course work via 360 Education Solutions. Summer educator classes tend to involve more collaborative group work due to the short time span and less independent, drawn out research projects. Classmates get to know other educators easier and learn of their experiences and successful techniques. There is more sharing of responsibility and stimulation of creative thinking as group members brainstorm on interesting ways to approach and present their project.

Other classes that offer educator professional development at little cost are workshops offered by learning organizations and agencies such NASA, major museums, nature and science centers, educator organizations such as National Science Teachers Association and others, education supplies retailers, textbook and children's book publishers, school districts, fine arts organizations, state wildlife agencies and parks, and even public libraries. Some travel may be involved in attending these workshops, but most are offered in one's local community.

Of course, there are the more expensive teacher workshops and seminars sponsored by education businesses where nationally renowned educators and motivational speakers present the latest trends in learning or novel approaches to core curriculum. These opportunities can serve a dual purpose of providing sophisticated, on-the-cutting-edge training and an interesting vacation trip. Usually the chosen location is a major city or tourist area where side trips and day/night-time entertainment are available. Your whole family can participate in this experience as well.

Some may not consider summer teaching opportunities as professional development in the pure sense of the word, but what better way to get practical experience in applying old and new teaching strategies. Besides teaching remedial summer school for your school district, there are summer park and recreation classes, summer camps, and university-sponsored enrichment courses.

Some colleges have summer College For Kids or Summer Scholars classes for the gifted. Teachers can hone their skills by focusing on a specific area such as puppetry, kitchen chemistry, creative writing, literature of the Middle Ages, ecology, wildlife exploration, computer literacy, math games, aviation and space, or history of the local area. These venues offer unlimited topics to explore and expand that a teacher does not have time for during the regular school year. It is fun teaching without the deluge of paperwork and record keeping required of a full time educator.

Self-initiated professional development is the most flexible and customized way to refine teaching skills. One can tailor a program to fit his/her limitations of time, schedule, money, materials and manpower. Selecting certain professional books to read, taking online tutorials on educational topics or how to utilize a computer better, reading up on state and federal learning standards, organizing personal teacher resources into notebooks or filing systems, preparing creative lesson plans for the coming year, and a multitude of other projects allow individualized professional improvement.

In addition to these self-created activities, some educators have supplementary skills that they can apply to their "day job". A teacher may spend his/her summer writing about educational topics in magazine and newspaper articles, a blog, a professional newsletter, or a book. Others may practice songs to sing or play instrumentally for lessons or school assemblies. Artistically inclined teachers may design posters, murals, book covers, art samples, and other objects of art for their classroom. An educator who enjoys drama may write or select class plays and skits to perform. A seamstress may sew play costumes, classroom curtains and puppets, seat pouches for children's desks, or dress-up clothes in a preschool room.

A teacher fond of wood working can build a puppet theater, a lecture podium, book shelves, or a loft for a classroom. Those who love to travel can visit exotic and less exotic places and enrich their students' exposure to the world outside their community. The list could go on and on.

Summer professional development need not be that dreaded mandate of spending a specified number of hours confined to a boring college classroom or listening to another motivational speaker wanting to sell his/her latest book. It can be a variety of interesting and imaginative pursuits that expand teacher knowledge, strategies, and creativity. It can be an entertaining and informative way to spend time now and also be an investment in the future.