Days away from another summer. Plans and catch-ups. Beaches and pools. Sunshine and sunburns. Smells of sunscreen and watermelon. Memories of childhood and episodes of restless children. Are you one of those teachers that will spend some of your summer getting caught up on your professional reading…tweaking what didn’t seem right…or following research on a topic you heard during the year? It’s a GREAT time to rejuvenate the body, soul, and mind…to prepare for another group of kids that will capture your heart next school year. It’s hard to let go of your “kids” each year, isn’t it?
A friend of mine, 1st grade teacher at OCE, and I always have something we focus on each summer. One summer, it happened that we were both digging deep into the writing process with mentor text. It’s fun to set out on a journey and feel the growth from your learning. I bet if I called her right now, she’d have a focus for the summer.
I’ve had four teachers ask for books to read over the summer as they try to dig deeper into giftedness. My personal focus this summer will be on vocabulary (roots/stems) and differentiation. I’m sure I’ll add more to the agenda…but for now…I’m digging into these areas.
What is so cool about life as we now know it is learning is right at your fingertips. You can become an expert at whatever you choose. It depends on the amount of time you want to put into learning. Maybe you don’t want to become an expert, but you want to wrap your head around a concept. YOU can customize your learning. But you need a learning objective. So do you have one? Or two? Or more?
Kristy Mall from Discovery School sent this link to me a little while ago. It’s a really good article. Perhaps learning more about gifted is on your list. Here’s some food for thought. Thanks Kristy Mall!
Let’s see if we can get this “community” to grow. Share the blog with others. Sign up for alerts. We are educators, and we need each other. We’ve got a big job to do, and it’s important! So let’s become experts in something new!
Teach to Educate 
Vocabulary goal!!!! I love it!
Yes…I love to take summer to reflect on my role, improve my practice, and get inspired! First book this week I am reading is The Passion Driven Classroom!