With summer around the corner, I'm thinking about weak spots. Summer is a great time to shore up those personal and professional areas of life that need a boost.
Positive Routines
Summer is a good time to practice new routines for the school year ahead. Some new routines are difficult to embed during the school year simply because the school year is so busy. Yet if you solidify those routines during the summer, there's a chance those ideas will continue during the school year.
Positive Communication
Again, a busy school year can challenge good communication. Thinking deeply about where communication was strong and where it could be better can help you to begin better communication patterns at the start of the next school year.
Scheduling
Lead time really helps with regard to scheduling big events at school. It's must easier to schedule special field studies, expert visitors, and other events during the summer when you can spend time on a phone and leisurely plan. Having these dates set in the early fall, helps everyone else when it comes to coordinating events during the school year.
Preparation
Summer is a good time to prep some of the materials and efforts that are difficult to prep during the school year. It's sometimes possible to prepare teaching/learning materials while watching a good movie or relaxing at home on a summer day versus squeezing that prep in during the wee hours of the morning or after school when you're tired and have a lot of other work to do.
Professional Learning
Summer is a great time to study areas where you feel more learning will lead to better teaching.
I want to think a lot about the school year to come and the weak spots to shore up during the summer months--it's an ideal time to better what you can do and how you do it.