We've all heard this comment about teaching, "isn't it great that you get summers off?" It does honestly sound good and is easy to be jealous of but those who are close to teachers know it is more likely that teachers continue in their teaching and learning over the summer than planning all fun in the sun. Summer can mean year-round learning for your students or a chance to catch up on your own learning with professional development that allows for that collaboration you wish you had time for during the year. And a data point to prove summers off isn’t why teachers sign up for the job, only 14% of teachers cited it as one reason to become a teacher as opposed to the top reason, to make a difference in children’s lives at 85%.
That stat and today's quote is from the Primary Sources: America's Teachers on Teaching in an Era of Change study during which we surveyed more than 20,000 teachers. Additionally, we learned that 51% of teachers cited not enough time to collaborate with colleagues as a significant challenge. And when you see what they report they do when collaborating, you immediately see why it is important - from sharing lesson plans and planning units across subject areas to discussing how to best meet the needs of students and learning from each other's successes and challenges. We also know from the study that teachers are seeking each other out online and breaking the boundaries of their classroom walls that way.
Teachers, what is your main collaboration focus this summer?
