By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer, Curriki

I enjoyed a recent blog on Top 12 Summer Tips for Top Teachers from Edutopia that includes lots of great tips on how we, as teachers, can become more productive and better at our jobs.

I thought I’d build on these tips with some additional ideas:

• Rework the Worst to Be the Best. Take the time to revise last year’s lesson plans to make them even better. Incorporate recent events, videos or hands-on learning experiences to enrich the classroom experience. You can find lots of ideas on Curriki. For example, use the Curriki Search function to find games like Quadratic Review or Free Online Math Games to make learning fun. Curriki also has video collections like this Technology Video collection from STEMbite that includes how to make your own bone conduction headphones, and how you can use a new pair of sunglasses to explore the polarization of light.

• Learn and Share. “Read, watch videos, and share what you’ve learned.” Reading can transport you into different worlds and Good Reads offers many suggestions. If you’re looking for books for your students or children, StorySnoops publishes various reading list, from Books for Tween Boys Who are Reluctant Readers to Great Books for High School Book Reports, which you can find on Curriki. In terms of videos, TED videos can be funny and inspirational and here are 10 Talks from Inspiring Teachers.

• Connect with colleagues. With so many social media platforms focused on teacher interests (Teachers on Pinterest, YouTube for Teachers, Twitter feeds), it’s easier than ever to connect with like-minded colleagues. Another option you should check out are Curriki Groups, where you can connect with fellow educators to exchange ideas, best practices, and curricula. With nearly 800 groups, there’s sure to be a group for you whether it be STEM, New Teachers, Technology Integration, or Indian Educators or Teach for America Teachers.

• Tinker. What better way to spur creativity, especially in the dog days of summer! Why not explore 3D printing or learn a new skill? We follow Teacher Christine Mytko, who’s using 3D printers in her classroom and blogs about it in Tales of a 3D Printer. Did you ever want to learn programming? Check out the free workshop Getting Started with Java Using Alice, where you can learn basic Java programming concepts with little or no programming experience. It’s fun and you can spend time creating animated stories, movies and games.

• Laugh. I’m sure you can find plenty of things that will have you laughing out loud. But as teachers, we sometimes appreciate a special kind of humor. “Like” Teachers with a Sense of Humor  or Grammarly on Facebook to get more of these posts.

 

LOL. If you know a teacher, please share this post with them!