Teacher Tips
It’s mid-July, summer is in full swing, and many teachers are taking full advantage. These few short-but-sweet months of summer break can mean something different for every teacher — perhaps summer means relaxing vacations, quality time with family and friends, or working a summer job. However you may be spending these few months off, it doesn’t hurt to devote some time to professional development.
Teachers: have you made the most of your summer in preparation for the fall? Read below for Vived Learning’s advice for a successful summer (and an even better school year)!
Don’t ignore your classroom blog.
Just because students are not actively posting on your classroom blog in the summer does not mean teachers should take a hiatus, too. Edtech blogs and other education journals actively update their content throughout June and July.
Take this time to browse through other education professionals’ websites and learn from them. Give another teacher your feedback in a blog comment. Share your thoughts about a new lesson plan or strategy in a blog post. Driving traffic to your blog and extending your audience can help you gain meaningful connections.
Engage on social media.
Remember our earlier blog post about incorporating social media and hashtags into lesson plans? Well, take the same idea and apply it to your own professional development.
Twitter is an excellent outlet for connecting with other educators and schools to get ideas. Join in on Twitter conversations and explore popular education hashtags (for example, #edtech or #techtuesday).
Attend conferences.
Summer is a great season to attend teaching and ed-tech conferences. Conferences bring together educators and entrepreneurs to network and learn about what schools and teachers need.
There are plenty of conferences to attend around the country, but if none of them fit into your schedule, don’t worry! Attending a webinar lets you attend a virtual conference and learn from the comfort of your own home.
Revise your classroom.
Listen to your previous students. Study your student feedback and rework your lesson plans to make this school year the best one yet.
Bring color and life into your learning space! Display new room decorations, create costumes and props to incorporate into lesson plans… Be creative! You can even revise your blog layout or log on to your favorite sites to see what new features they have.
Read, write, and share.
Read journals and books, watch documentaries/movies/other videos, and then share your feedback! A large population of educators share book reviews on Goodreads. Join in on a conversation about a book you just read, or write an original piece on a newly released novel. Writing book reviews can help you retain information while connecting with other educators.
You can also post your review on your blog! Then, share your blog post on Twitter or other social media sites you use.
Set Goals
Revisit and revise your list of goals and aspirations. Set new goals for specific time ranges—daily, monthly, yearly, and so on. Make sure you write out or print a hard copy of your goals, and put them in a visible space so you can review them daily.
Take time to relax and reflect.
Think about your accomplishments thus far and reflect on how you became who you are today. Visualize your goals for the next year. Remember those who helped you along the way, and be grateful for their support. You can even take this time to write out thank you cards to those who have made an impact on your life.
Relax by revitalizing your health. Exercise, meditate, or practice yoga to help clear your mind and ease anxiety. Catch up on rest. Your physical health has a big impact on your mood and mindset.
Enjoy the rest of summer!
Most importantly, take time for yourself and do what makes you happy.
