A potential benefit of summer learning programs is to give educators an opportunity to test out new approaches to persistent challenges like family engagement, according to Education Week.
That’s what Beth Holland argued in an EdWeek account of her research into a summer parent communication intervention: “The smaller student body, brief duration, and flexibilities in mandates regarding summer school give educators an opportunity to figure out the logistics of implementing a parent communication program, work out kinks, and develop standards and protocols in preparation for launching it on a larger scale and longer-term.”
Peter DeWitt dissected a problem in an EdWeek essay he has seen up close as a teacher, a principal and as a leadership coach: the grand plans hatched over the summer that don’t survive the winter. Tips: think and plan ahead; don’t draft plans in isolation away from teachers and parents – collaborate,
For 4th grade English/language arts teacher Domonique Dickson, those preparations offer an opportunity to reclaim the joy in teaching. “The assessments, the district changes, and the school protocols aren’t in my control; my joy and excitement in preparing my classroom is,” she wrote in a widely circulated EdWeek Opinion essay last summer.
If you’re also using some much-needed vacation to catch up on television, here are some opinions on favorites:
Patrick Harris II recommends the ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary” as both a bright spot in his day and a sneaky professional development tool.
It’s not just fictional teachers who are inspiring their real-life counterparts; fictional football coaches have been getting in the game, too. In an Opinion essay “What ‘Ted Lasso’ Can Teach Us About School Sports,” high school physics teacher and cross-country coach Liz MacLauchlan excavated some timely lessons from the Apple TV feel-good comedy series.
So how will you spend both a relaxing and productive summer?
Education Week
