When summer time is upon us, I relish the opportunity to participate in professional development of my own choosing. In fact, I consider myself a lifelong learner. My husband laughs at me when I ask a question that he can't answer, because my response is to "google" it. My family had a set of encyclopedias when I was growing up. I loved to browse the volumes looking at the pictures, reading the captions, and pausing to read any entry that caught my interest. While this was not a bad way to occupy my time, my mother would often tell me to go outside and play.
I started this summer signing up for any free online PD that I came across, provided it would be useful for my Reading RTI classes. Even a couple of paid conferences ended up on my calendar because I could not pass up the excellent learning opportunities. The aforementioned calendar began to fill up quickly and I found myself having to check it frequently to make sure I didn't miss a thing! When I began logging each and every conference, webinar, and workshop, I realized that more than half of my summer days contained at least one one-hour training. I am scheduled to participate in an online workshop on my three and a half hour drive to my grandson's First Birthday party! When is the amount of PD too much?
I don't think my mother had a problem with me reading the encyclopedias at our house. That was why they bought them! She knew that I needed more than information and knowledge for me to learn and grow. I needed sunshine, friends, exercise, and fun. This seems to be a balance that I struggle to maintain.
Am I getting sunshine this summer? Yes! I am actually starting my weekdays with at least a two-mile walk. So sunshine and exercise, check and check! Am I spending time with friends and family? I eat at least two meals a day with my husband at the kitchen table. I see church friends every Sunday and Wednesday. I talk with my PLN on Voxer weekly. My daughter-in-law and my grandsons came down for a few days to visit. So family and friends, check and check. Am I having fun? Would you call recreational reading, shopping online, and sketchnoting fun? So fun, check! If all of these elements are present, why does it feel out of balance?
Looking back at my list of summer PD experiences, I am realizing I don't remember them all. I took notes, interacted with the presenters and attendees, and saved my certificates, so I know that valuable information was shared. So much was shared, in fact, that my memory is a little overwhelmed. What I am beginning to understand is that I need to go back and pick just one take-away from each experience. One thing that I can try, apply, or modify. Armed with that list, I don't have to remember everything I 'learned' over the summer. I can take the best of what I heard, saw, and experienced to make next school year more impactful for my students.
Kinda like drinking from a water hose when I was a kid. You only drink what you need and the rest is extra!
