It’s Summer—Do Teachers Really Take a Break?

As teachers and students around NC are preparing to return to classrooms, inevitably the question will be asked, “What did you do over the summer?” Although schools are not in session in June and July, teachers are rarely off, frequently seeking opportunities to learn and improve their craft. Several educators from across the state did just that—convened on an island, Innovation Island—at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation for a K-12 professional development adventure. An open call solicited teachers, coaches and education leaders to come, learn and share their expertise and best practices on a variety of curriculum instruction topics and strategies, among them digital teaching, learning and AI.

Robert Taylor, superintendent of the Wake County Public Schools System, served as the event’s keynote speaker, praising the educators for focusing on learning, growing and highlighting the need to honor and respect teaching.

“I want people to understand and respect this profession…I don’t know a single person that wasn’t impacted by a teacher,” said Taylor. 

Taylor’s remarks were sprinkled with funny anecdotes from his personal experiences as a teacher, school leader and central office administrator; he readily shared, “I am a teacher,” emphasizing the present tense, because being a teacher is at the heart of what he and all gathered for the event do.

Guilford County Schools district leader and Jeanes Fellowship coordinator Saletta Ureña summed it up best when asked what she would take away from the day. She referred to Dr. Taylor’s sentiments about teaching as a profession.

“We are professionals and we need to present ourselves that way; and in circumstances with different groups, it’s easy to kind of fall back and think, ‘I’m just a teacher…’ I’ve said this myself, but, ‘I am a teacher!’ she restated, boldly and with expression. “Dr. Taylor speaking about that sort of gave me a greater idea about the authority that I possess as an educator and to live that authority out in all the spaces that I occupy.” 

Indeed, teachers deserve to be respected for the professionals and lifelong learners that they are, as evidenced by the overwhelming response and success of the PD opportunities provided at Innovation Island.

The Friday Institute is widely known for its outreach and support of education through high quality professional development, and that reputation was an attraction for many participants, including John Lassiter, who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to support the growth of his teachers. As an N.C. Teaching Fellows alum who returned to his home in Perquimans County, North Carolina, to teach, Lassiter currently serves as principal of Hertford Grammar School. 

“In eastern NC, we don’t always have access to high quality professional development to drive innovation in our schools,” said Lassiter. “I shared it with my teachers and said, ‘I’m going, and I have five seats in my car for anyone who wants to join me.’ We came together to make Hertford Grammar School a better place to learn.” 

Lassiter, the 2021 Wells Fargo Northeast District Principal of the Year, believes that his students deserve the same quality education despite where they live.

“When we have opportunities over the summer to drive two and a half hours to Raleigh, we want to make sure that our teachers have the tools that they need to make sure that our students can compete,” said Lassiter.

There was a buzz as educators transitioned between sessions, excitedly sharing a tip or tool that they’d just learned. The Sandbox Makerspace, facilitated by Laura Fogle from NC State College of Education’s METRC (Media and Technology Resource Center) and Kevin Oliver from the College’s TELS (Teacher Education and Learning Sciences) department, gave attendees opportunities to explore the latest digital tools and resources to enhance their instruction. 

“Makerspace materials can be used to engage students in hands-on creation across grade levels and subject areas that help them build persistence and confidence in problem solving,” said Fogle.  

Teachers became students, working in small groups playing to learn, coding and problem solving, and using circuits, magnets, motion sensors, programmable robots and Legos^Ⓡ. 

“Providing teachers with the opportunity to explore with some examples of curricular connections opens their minds to possibilities for informal makerspaces in their classrooms,” said Fogle.

When asked to share what they would take back to their respective schools to share with their colleagues, AI was a common theme that emerged. 

”For me, coming today was a way for me to get a little more comfortable with AI and to learn a little bit more about it because I’m scared of it in some ways, but I’m also really excited about it,” said Rebecca Denhem, upper school teacher at The Fletcher Academy. 

After attending a session on AI strategies, Denhem is prepared to use it in the classroom with her students. 

“[I have] more understanding of AI and how it might be used in the classroom [for] providing feedback, different ways that editing can be used and teaching kids the importance of editing when they use AI,” said Denhem.

That’s one of many examples of how AI can be used to transform instruction in the classroom. Lucy Bailey, a special educator from Apex Middle School, was so excited having discovered a new system for using AI to create a discreet color-coded system for communicating with the other teachers who serve her special needs students.

Although AI and digital teaching and learning were prominent in the sessions offered, teachers are always seeking new ideas to increase student engagement and invigorate content and lessons. Innovation embodies what’s next, as well as finding creative solutions for administrative tasks. 

“Innovation to me is making systemic changes; we all do amazing things in our classrooms and in our businesses, but we’re in silos,” said Ureña. “I think even the best, most well thought out processes need to be improved and you need to look at who and what is missing; for me, innovation is constantly changing, and constantly being dedicated to improving the future for us all.” 

Innovation Island was organized by the Friday Institute’s Professional Leading and Learning Collaborative (PLLC) team with Brittany Miller, research scholar, serving as coordinator. 

“Innovation Island was a wonderful opportunity to bring together K-12 teachers, coaches and leaders for a fun day of professional development and peer-to-peer learning,” said Miller. “One fundamental component of this event was our guest speakers who came from across North Carolina to share their ideas, strategies and excellence with their peers. Our team strives to provide quality, job-embedded, affordable professional development and we’re excited to organize the first of many such events to come.”