I’m always comparing school and sports, and the school year is a very long, sometimes grueling season. There are things I think of doing during the school year that I know won’t get done until the summer, when the offseason starts and I have a chance to rest, recuperate, and focus on getting better for next year. I have three things in particular I want to accomplish that are getting me excited for the summer:

1. Google Level 2 Educator Certification

I just recently got my Level 1 Certification, and having used the GSuite for Education all school year, I thought getting certified would be easy. I thought taking and passing the test would be a verification of what I already knew. While some of the training covered things that pretty much anyone with a computer already understands, I was surprised by how much I didn’t know. (I have a separate list of all the GSuite features I’m going to try next school year – article coming soon.) This summer I want to study for the Level 2 Certification, which is billed as the much more in-depth training.

2. Class Library

As a big believer in giving students time for independent reading, I want to upgrade and revamp my own classroom library.  One of my favorite memories in school was being able to pick any book I wanted, find a cozy spot, and read. It was a welcomed break from the hectic pace of the school day.  The key to making reading exciting for students is to give them choice and provide good book options for them.  This past school year, I went to Facebook to crowdsource some answers on peoples’ favorite books in middle and high school. This summer, I’ll start collecting some of these books and, if possible, read all of them. Reading Workshop is so much more impactful when teachers know their students and the books in their library well enough to play matchmaker and make students feel that that book was written for him or her.

3. Teaching Methods Database/Flowchart

This goal is the least solidified in my mind. Basically, I want to create some kind of organized catalogue of different teaching methods or lesson ideas for various ELA skills that I can refer back to as I’m lesson planning throughout the school year.  In the grind of the season, it can be difficult to feel inspired, and I think organizing this sort of catalogue would be a great resource to make sure every lesson is meaningful. I don’t know exactly what this will look like; maybe it will be in Excel or Sheets, maybe it will be something more visual like a Flowchart for each skill highlighting progressions (maybe Piktochart?). I’ll probably experiment with a few systems this summer and share my results when I’m done.

If I accomplish all this, in addition to taking PLENTY of time to actually rest, recuperate, and spend time with friends and family, I’ll be very happy and excited for the next “season” when August rolls around. Share your own #SummerGoals below or on Twitter, and above all, enjoy your summers!