Summers Oft

Every now and then somebody will ask me if I have any plans for summer vacation. In fact, I recently had one person ask me if I did anything to stay busy during the summer months…like tutoring. The truth of the matter is that summer remains a very productive and reflective time for educators. My summer days will oft include:

Student-Centric Planning: Scheduling, staffing, and planning a world class educational experience for kids consumes much of the summer. We hope to break ground on an addition next fall that will include a new gym space and four additional classrooms. Planning to “right size” our school and create a dynamic learning environment for students is an exciting priority.

Goal-Setting and Data Driven Dialogues: School and district administrators meet to review student achievement data and staff survey data. Teams of teacher-leaders are involved in a collaborative process of establishing goals for the upcoming school year. This past year our school had a focus on students’ mathematical learning, and preliminary MCAIII data is very positive. We set goals and measure our progress. Summer is an ideal time to recalibrate and revisit data.

Learning: In education, learning and change never stop. In our efforts to improve continuously we seek out innovative ways to leverage technology in a manner that will personalize learning for each and every student. Our reliance on cutting-edge technology to empower and enhance learning means that we must continue to refine our own understanding of the technology tools available. Teachers and administrators model life long learning through participation in summer classes, workshops and trainings. Project MyWay is an exciting learning initiative that will surely contribute to our own professional growth and eventually make a huge difference for students and their learning! More on this project to come….

Summer is really an exciting time of reflection, preparation and growth! We do miss the vast array of student smiles and friendly interactions with families, but continue to plan for an amazing 2012-2013 year of learning!

You can be sure I will enjoy my share of coffee and some additional family time this summer, but now you know what my summer days oft include.

Originally Posted June 15, 2012
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