Teachers should love professional development

 

Winter break for teachers is right around the corner. This has been a tough year for teachers and students alike. Covid is still hanging around, there seems to be a lot of anger towards each other and we seem to be even more unappreciated than ever. 

But the hope for me lies in professional development. Not the kind our district wants to shove down our throat and make required. You know, the kind you take every...single...year regardless with the same information and videos. Being a social studies teacher means we have even less available for our content. 

So around the holidays, outside professional development begins to become available. The NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) releases their offerings mid November and that seems to begin the flow of offerings for teachers for the following summer.

I have applied for two NEH programs, which is all you are allowed to apply for and if you are chosen for one, consider yourself extremely lucky. Remember, these are open to all teachers in the country.  You can check them out here: 

I have also applied for the USS Midway Teachers Institute. Because I have switched classes and now teach those more geared to world history than United States history, the offerings for classes I can actually use are reduced. I was lucky enough to take one of their online seminars last summer which helped me in classes this year. I hope an in person seminar will be even better. (Lesson on an aircraft carrier. How cool is that?)

Finally, I have signed up once again, for a seminar at the CATO Institute in Washington DC. A lot of folks may think CATO is trying to indoctrinate us to become Libertarians. (They don't) A seminar next summer is, "Incorporating Civic Culture Into Advanced Subjects" which will tie in beautifully with what I took away from the first seminar I took. You can check it out here: 

These programs inject new enthusiasm in to being a teacher. You are surrounded by other teachers who are looking for the best way to bring new information to their students. They are from all corners of the country, from all different kinds of schools; all trying to learn as much as possible to help their students. 

I have never understood why teachers don't even apply. I love the interaction we get to have. I come back to school in the fall refreshed and ready to take on the new school year.. Perhaps you should try it.