Are You Re-energizing Over the Summer?

As I ticked off all the items on my closing list for the 2011-2012 school year, I could not help, but be as happy as my students to see the arrival of our summer break.  Another successful year behind me, I was especially proud of the ninety-nine percent pass rate on our state's Standards of Learning test my students achieved this year, and I knew, as I frantically graded the last of the research projects, that the slower paced days of summer awaited me; I easily sailed through closing out the year.  But does summer mean forgetting about school all together?  Well, for me the answer is no.  The first two or three weeks I do, but then I begin to reflect on the past school year.  How could I have done it better?  How could I have taught my objectives in a more engaging manner?  This practice has served me well over my twenty plus years of teaching; I am especially grateful for the reflecting I have done over those summer days when the new school year begins.  

As I re-energize, over the dog days of summer, I look for new resources to add to my teaching arsenal to make learning and teaching more enjoyable because if the lesson is boring to my students they won't learn, and if it is boring to me, I have to suffer through teaching it four times.  I am always happy to find a new gem, and I was elated when I somehow found myself on the The English Teachers Friend website.  I'm very impressed with the information that is available for free-however there is a Premium Option for those who want to join for a fee.  Check them out...here is a sample of what they offer to teachers free of charge: Archetypes & Symbols Link

Drop by their site and see if their resources might energize your teaching for the 2012-2013 school year.  At a minimum sign-up for their free newsletter.

I'm going back to recharging my teaching battery, but don't forget to leave some time for reflecting on how you can be the best teacher you can be.

Happy Dog Days of Summer!