The Best-Laid Plans of Teachers on Vacation

A teacher friend of mine recently saw her summer plans implode like a tinfoil submarine at 20,000 leagues. I ran into her after she’d spent three solid days on the phone in a near panic. The look on her face made me think she had just completed her first triathlon by walking on her hands wearing a gorilla suit in the dark. School district administrators told her she had to attend a five week intensive class to gain much-needed certification in her field. She would have a week off; then she’d have to drive several hours away, across the state, to begin the intensive residency program.

Forced to shelve her plan for spending time with her eight- and two-year old children, she suddenly found herself scrambling to arrange child care, gather required paperwork, and understand just what had become of her summer. Five weeks: Poof! Gone.

In the end, my friend seemed to handle the switch in plans with aplomb. She’s a teacher, after all and therefore comfortable with coming full-stop on a moment’s notice to reverse direction or make a 90-degree turn into the dark and impenetrable unknown with confidence and self-assurance. Plus the school district has enabled her to conquer a sizeable chunk of continuing education that will do wonders for her skills and certification. Instead of scrambling to find a one-day seminar or a week of early-August hands-on workshops, this fell in her lap.

What is your approach to summertime continuing education? Are some summers better than others? And is there a dream workshop you wish someone offered? The Upper Grades Exchange is open, and we’re waiting to take your comments!


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