We know that students need to continue to read and write even when they are not in school. This means the summer months and other breaks from school offer wonderful opportunities for families, caregivers, and out-of-school educators to work with children and teens to improve their reading and writing. ReadWriteThink.org provides many activities and tools with their Parent & Afterschool Resources.
However, educators should also continue to read and write outside of the classroom, as well as connect with colleagues. Here are some suggestions and ideas from NCTE:
Teachers Organizing for Change: Making Literacy Learning Everybody’s Business offers teachers and teacher educators a practical, hands-on guide to effecting positive change in their own learning communities and in the larger social community. This book features numerous real-life examples, scenarios, and adaptable materials from community activists and teachers.
“What gives us energy as teachers? What takes it away? What wastes our time?” Donald H. Graves offers strategies teachers can use to keep their teaching fresh in the Language Arts article “Build Energy with Colleagues“.
The themed issue of Voices from the Middle “On a Quest for New Discoveries: Effective Professional Development” includes articles on teacher talk and creating professional communities.
To encourage more engaged summer reading, the authors of “Computers, Coffee Shops, and Classrooms: Promoting Partnerships and Fostering Authentic Discussion” assigned students online discussions modeled on book club meetings. Their results demonstrate the value of collaboration between students and teachers.
The English Education article “Learning to Speak in a Political Voice” profiles a National Writing Project Summer Institute.
Join us in person for some of the events we have planned!
What are your plans for summer vacation?