5 Summer Professional Development Ideas for Teachers
As a teacher, you deserve to relax and recharge over the summer. However, summer is also a great time to catch up on any tasks you don’t typically have time for during the school year. That includes summer professional development for teachers! Luckily, there are lots of ways you can learn from PD this summer, whether you want to go out of time or learn while on the sofa. Here are a few professional development ideas for this summer.
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Join Teacher Facebook Groups
One of the easiest ways to get in your summer professional development for teachers (and look for year-round ideas) is to join Facebook groups and learn from other teachers out in the field. There are so many Facebook groups out there that focus on different grade levels, subjects, and topics.
You can find groups just for kindergarten teachers, groups about classroom management, and so much more. These groups are full of supportive educators that you can learn from, ask questions, and collaborate with. You can share tips, advice, ideas, brainstorm strategies, and ask questions.
There’s something comforting knowing you’re in a safe space with people that are in the same spot as you. Plus, you can ask people inside these groups about their favorite PD books, online resources, and more.
Read Professional Development Books
Summer is a great time to dive into a great professional development book. Teachers often struggle to find the time to read during the school year, let alone reflect on what they’re reading. During the summer, when your schedule is more relaxed, take some time to read a PD book on a topic you’re most interested in.
You can align your PD book choices to an area in which you want to grow or improve next year. That may be classroom management, books surrounding a specific skill, or a book about a certain teaching strategy.
A couple of my favorite PD books are A Fresh Look at Phonics by Wiley Blevins and Teach Skills and Break Habits by Dan St. Romain.
Listen to Teacher Podcasts
Another way to get in your summer professional development for teachers is to listen to podcasts. Podcasts are great because you can squeeze them in mid-day. You can turn on a podcast while you go on a walk, garden, fold the laundry, or prep materials for next year.
Just like with PD books, you can find teacher podcasts on a variety of topics, subjects, and grade levels. You can go to your favorite podcast app and search for the topic or grade level that you want to learn about.
Attend a Virtual or In-Person Conference
Attending a virtual or in-person conference is great summer professional development for teachers that allows you to connect with other educators and collaborate.
If you want to travel, ask your administrator if there is a budget available for teacher PD. You can even research fun travel abroad or larger PD events and apply for a grant.
You and a teacher colleague can also attend together. It’s always nice to have a buddy to attend with so you can share ideas, go to different breakout sessions, and share what you learned.
If you can’t attend an in-person conference, there are several virtual conferences offered over the summer. Invite a teacher friend or your team over to attend with you. Then, grab a coffee and some snacks, and grow as educators in your comfy clothes together this summer.
After the conference, you can brainstorm ways in which you can apply what you learned to your teaching, classroom, and school building.
Learn a New Classroom Strategy
One of the greatest summer professional development for teachers is to simply learn something new. During the school year, you’re so busy planning lessons, teaching, analyzing, and working with students. Therefore, it’s challenging to find time to learn something new or dig into PD.
Maybe this is the year you dig into morning tubs, commit to making writing centers more effective, or look for ways to make word work more fun.
If you want to kick-start trying these new strategies, grab the free morning tubs below. You can use these during your first week of school while you practice routines and expectations with students.
When deciding on your summer professional development, think about your goals for the upcoming year and what you are excited to dig into. Align your PD with those goals to truly become an expert and apply what you’ve learned in your classroom next year.
