“School’s out for summer…” As the days get longer and the temps are creeping up, I find myself humming that song to myself. “Summer time and the livin’ is 
easy…” I look forward to summer every year – a chance to rest, relax, and recharge. Rest and relaxation are important and needed, but I also eagerly look forward to recharging my brain. The NWESD has many amazing summer learning opportunities to offer educators in our region to do just that. I came across the NWESD Summer Professional Development flyer in a school the other day. These flyers were mailed out to all the schools in the region this month. Have you seen it at your school? If not, it is also available on the NWESD website.
There are classes to fit every subject and every budget. Classes are available in Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Science, Math, Early Learning, Technology, and Instructional Strategies. Many classes are free as well as some with moderate fees. Need a STEM class? One of those is offered as well. Though my school schedule is winding down, the folks at the NWESD are just getting ramped up to help educators recharge their brains.
Classes begin at the end of June and continue well into August with locations spread throughout the NWESD region. Do you need clock hours for renewing your certificate? There are a lot of options to choose from – from six all the way up to 30 hours.
Take a look through the 2016 Summer Professional Development flyer and choose something that interests you. Knowing that the focus in the NWESD region is on deeper learning, I found the Concept-based Curriculum and Instruction workshop to be very appealing. Students need to be able to identify real-world problems or issues, then scope into an inquiry. This workshop will challenge teachers’ two-dimensional instruction model and transform classrooms.
Now, where was I again? Oh, yes, dreaming of summer-time. “Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.”
