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Hi Leland,
As a young, inexperienced teacher I found Faith Builder’s Summer Term (5 weeks during the month of July) quite formative. You can find out more here: https://fbep.org/st. If you’re looking something shorter you could consider Teacher’s Week during the first week of August.
I also recently saw a flyer in our school office advertising teacher training sessions offered by CLE. These are one week long, and take place at various locations throughout the country. This may less helpful if your school does not use their publications.
We are often given a book to read, digest, and discuss over the summer. I think this is a significant way to improve professional development as a teacher. Two books that were influential for me were, Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
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I completely agree with Jordan on the Summer Term suggestion. It is an extremely beneficial time of networking and growing alongside other teachers from so many places, perspectives, and experiences. Although it is a financial and time commitment for teachers during the summer, it is certainly worth the effort. And like Jordan said, if Summer Term is not an option, at least take in Teacher’s Week!
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The refreshment offered by summer activities is a major reason teachers can return to the classroom year after year. In addition to summer classes and workshops, I offer these suggestions for personal summer enrichment.
Choose a subject area to study or read up on…
History: read a biography such as Sandburg’s on Abe Lincoln or a book such as Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States or essays by Daniel Boorstin. Or a church history classic such as Broadbent’s The Pilgrim Church.
Math: Study some real books on math such as Nickel’s Mathematics: Is God Silent?, Posamentier’s Math Wonders to Inspire Teachers & Students, or Vorderman’s How Math Works, or Reimer’s Mathematicians are Real People, Too.
Language: Read a couple classics. Peruse some good children’s books on a variety of topics; compile a list of books to use for read-aloud next year.
Science: Do some nature study. Read Haven’s Marvels of Science. Choose a topic such as stars, the weather, insects or ecology to study.
Also become familiar with local resources–historical society, post card club, parks, nature trails, or potential speakers.
If you have opportunity to travel for a few days, plan experiences to broaden your education.
Don’t try to do too much–but do something inspiring, refreshing, and energizing.
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