Summer Professional Development

Some of my favorite folks to learn with,
the Nerdy Book Club crew.

The other day I saw a former student in the local grocery store. He introduced me to his aunt as his former teacher. Her first comment was, "Ahh, teaching. I wish I had gone into that like I planned. Summers off with nothing to do must be nice." In twenty plus years of teaching, I've heard this refrain so many times. And yet, my summers - like most teachers - are never truly "off". Even in my first years of teaching, my mom trained me to pick one subject to study over the summer, to improve on. Each year I'd find a new one, read as much as I could, and start the new year determined to be better than I was the previous year.

Several years passed and I found myself with a plethora of workshops I could choose to attend in the summer. While I typically paid my own way to these conferences, the advantage of not having to create sub plans while I went off to learn was a huge draw. 

This summer I've already begun planning. I know I will be speaking at the Scholastic Summit in Chicago on Thursday, June 21st. This is my third year at the Summit and I'm constantly amazed at what a wonderful day of PD Scholastic pulls together. If you'd like to see if there will be a Summit in your area, you can check HERE.

I'm also thrilled to be presenting at the Summer Institute in Warsaw, Indiana on Friday, June 22nd. I began attending this conference years ago when it was called All Write. It brings back memories of friends, amazing presenters, and lots of learning packed into just a few days. I simply cannot wait. If you want to attend Summer Institute, register HERE. 

While I won't be attending this year, my oldest son will be turning sixteen, NerdCamp MI is one of the best conferences around. The conference is FREE. Yep, free. Two days of connections with colleagues, authors, and illustrators from all over. Register HERE. 

Finally, I'll be learning at home. A few colleagues from my building are diving into Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle's new book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents. I can't wait to read this with them over the summer days, discuss what we think we can apply in our classrooms, and grow as a learner. 

How about you? Do you have a plan for your learning this summer? Please share! And if you will be at Summer Institute or Scholastic's Chicago Summit, I hope to see you there.