Most educators are eagerly looking forward to their upcoming spring breaks, a week in which they can relax and recharge for the rest of the school year. Some will use the time to get long-delayed chores done at home while others go on trips with their families. And both of these activities are important. But I believe that spring break is the best time of the year to catch up on your professional learning, mastering some new skills, techniques, and tools to bring back with you to the classroom and your students.
PD in Your PJs
If you’re a TCEA member (and why wouldn’t you be??), then you have free access to more than 80 hours of recorded professional development that you can watch any time. These include our popular Lunch and Learn series, where we showcase new tools and resources to help you integrate technology into the classroom for more engaged learning. For those using any Google apps, you can learn more about the power of them with our Get Your Google On webinars that focus on specific skill development. All of these webinars are recorded and are available to members in the Member Benefits group in the Community.
Learning with Social Media
Another way to increase your learning over spring break is to use social media to interact with your peers. A free Twitter account is a great way to begin. Be sure to follow @TCEA as we always post amazing resources. But also look for others in your field that you can network with. You can even use the Twitter search for a particular topic, like algebra 1 or fourth grade or Chromebooks in the classroom. Twitter offers another “learn anytime, anywhere” opportunity for professional development that’s perfect for your spring break.
Catching Up on Your Reading
Enjoy your time on the beach or lounging by the pool while catching up on some great educational blogs. Check out some of the past stories TCEA has posted by using the category feature to find those that fit your needs. And a search on Google for “educational blogs for teachers” will deliver lots of other great resources to extend your learning.
TCEA hopes that all of you who have toiled so long and hard through the school year will have a relaxing and enjoyable spring break with plenty of time off, good food, fun with friends and family, and a little bit of learning. Come back refreshed and recharged to finish out the year with the very best for your students!
