Shifting to Summer Learning

I hope this article finds you doing well. I know nowadays you aren't supposed to start any correspondence that way, but I mean it. It has been a crazy two months, yet as we wrap up another school year, we face an unprecedented summer--one that will be an adjustment for parents, students and teachers alike. 

Parents will face a more challenging summer. We can expect there to be less in-person camps and activities we are used to attending. Sports activities may be reduced as well, so parents will be looking for ways to fill this void. I know my family has more hiking and outdoor activities planned and maybe some trips to the zoo or places where we can continue to respect social distancing but enjoy activities. One thing we intend to continue are virtual tours we have enjoyed this spring. 

A concern we all have is the level of learning for our students during these last few weeks and over the summer. This year, the summer slide is an even bigger worry. We need to find ways to extend some of the learning opportunities we have presented over the last nine weeks. From virtual trips to Google Classroom learning opportunities, we must find ways to challenge students. 

Lastly, school personnel will find the normal summer opportunities to expand their own learning changed. Many large group gatherings and conferences we attend in summers will be moved virtually or will be cancelled altogether. Ways to combat this are to schedule some online book studies with colleagues or friends or get together in small groups. Educators should also look for expanded ways to learn online through professional development opportunities (cheap, shameless plug for OPSRC’s expanded online PD products).

However OPSRC and the Teaching and Learning team can help, we would love the opportunity. We live in a different time now. We face new challenges. But through it all, we will learn to adapt to our new environment and be successful.