Use of Summer Vacation

School may be out for the summer, but it doesn’t mean the work has ended for teachers. Summer vacation provides many opportunities for teachers to improve their skills and to have new experiences to bring into their classrooms when fall classes begin again.
There are several tips for educators to improve their teaching with some strategic use of summer vacation.

Take workshops and college courses
One of the most valuable investments of time that an educator can do is take classes and workshops in the summer. There are many opportunities that are organized with teachers in mind. A great area to invest time and energy is in technology classes. This is a place where skills must constantly be updated. There are many quality workshops involving topics in education, teaching methods, and even regarding specific subject matters. Keep in mind that it won't mean totally remodeling one's teaching philosophies, but rather consider it as a recipe book. If one good recipe or educational idea is taken from the workshop, it is a success.

Read one new resource or book
Choose one book that has resources or lessons that would apply to the classroom. It is far better to set the goal of reading and understanding one book or resource, than bringing home a stack and feeling overwhelmed by the amount that needs to be covered. By setting the goal at one resource or book, it is manageable and the teacher can apply those skills to the classroom.

Go online
There are many websites that provide quality lesson plan ideas as well as activities and resources. The problem is that during the school year it is difficult to find the time to read and go through those lessons. Summer vacation is a prime time to explore the Internet and to print lessons and resources. Going to sites such as Promethean Planet or Thinkfinity and downloading