During the summer months, teachers take time for themselves to relax and reflect. If you are anything like me, that lasts about a week or two, and then I'm like "Okay I'm ready to go, let's start planning for next year!" I am currently at that point but because of everything happening in the world right now with Covid-19, our fate as teachers is up in the air. I know that may be a bit dramatic, but not know exactly what school in September will bring makes it a bit difficult to plan.
Rather than planning for the new school year, use your time this summer to do a lot of self-directed professional development!
Here are a few suggestions that you can do as a teacher to prepare yourself for the next school year. Whether I am in the classroom or online, I will continue my inquiry journey with my students. These tips will help you prepare yourself for the upcoming school year and make your inquiry journey more meaningful. These tips will help you prepare of online learning but will create an excitement for your students no matter what teaching platform we are faced with.
1. Familiarize yourself with technology:
With the possibility of remote learning in September or even a hybrid model, now is the perfect time to play with technology. Download educational apps, play with them, do some research on how teachers use them and get GOOGLE CERTIFIED!
All of the apps on this diagram are free and are apps I used frequently with my students all year last year. Some were used for documentation, some for learning and some were used just for fun in class and during remote learning!
2. Books, articles, and blogs ... OH MY!
I read a lot of education-based books. Most of them are inquiry focused but I also read about self-regulation, student agency, and student choice. The learning of a teacher is never done. We can always learn so much more.
Reading books, blogs, educational articles etc. can open your eyes to new teaching ideologies and practices and exciting as a teacher.
3. Expand your Professional Learning Network!
Whether you are a teacher who uses Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or even no social media at all you cannot deny the amazing things educators are doing and sharing online.
Expand your PLN. Reach out to the educators you follow and engage in conversation with them. Watch their stories, and take note of all the FREE PD happening online with them via Instagram live, Twitter, Zoom etc.
4. Explore your neighbourhood and notice what is happening.
If you are on your own inquiry journey I highly recommend you explore the outdoors. Slow down, turn off the music or audiobook and observe the life that is happening in Nature.
Take a close look at trees, sand, bushes, flowers, gardens etc. And Take pictures! You will see things that you would have never noticed before. Nature is an easy entry point into inquiry for all ages and you can get some really amazing provocations for your kiddos.
5. Create your own "- OLOGY" My inquiry project at home:
Something super cool I saw in a classroom once was the idea of creating your own "OLOGY". If you are new to inquiry, this is a PERFECT concept for you to try at home during the summer. What is something you are interested in? Something you want to learn? If I had to pick for myself, I'd love to learn how to knit. So my "OLOGY" would be
"KNITOLOGY!"
Become an expert on a topic you enjoy. Work through the inquiry process yourself and see how learning unfolds for you. You will quickly see how easily any focus can connect in a cross-curricular way.
It may sound silly but sometimes DOING its LEARNING!
These are just a few of my tips to keep you motivated this summer while you begin to embark on your new or next inquiry journey. I would love to hear some of the tips you have to keep yourself motivated and learning as an educator. Let's continue the conversation on INSTAGRAM and TWITTER using the hashtag #theartofmyinquiry!
- Lidia
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