Finally! A few weeks to put your feet up and relax, reflect, refresh, and renew. And despite the criticism that summer is teacher slacker time, I argue that it's what makes us better. We take the time to think about what worked and what didn't in our classrooms during the past year, and we resolve to make changes.
Our vocation has gotten tougher and tougher in recent years in our educational leaders' very sincere efforts to close the achievement gap. The programs now in place: rigid "one size fits all" curricula; data collection and testing that take up valuable teaching and learning time; inclusion of all special needs students; behavior management programs that seem to favor inclusion over natural (and necessary) consequences....let's face it, these changes aren't working.
Maybe it's time our district leaders took a summer vacation to do what teachers do: reflect about what's not working and resolve to make changes.
Just sayin'!
Be well today and always,
