Summer is the Best Time for Professional Development

Ah summer… a time to disconnect from the grind of work. A time to reconnect with family, friends, and your self!

Those in education also often use this time to engage in professional development opportunities.

I know… I know… I can hear your groans from here. PD, as they are begrudgingly called, are courses and trainings that educators take to learn a new technique, theory, or modality that will enhance their work in the educational space. This continuing educational development is vital to ensure that we as professionals are living the mantra of lifelong learning. It also helps us keep up to date on the newest innovations in education.

To that end, I signed up for two professional development courses this summer. Both are sponsored by the CSU (California State University) system:

  • Teaching First Generation Students

  • Mental Health First Aid

The first one, Teaching First Generation Students, helped me get reacquainted with the important components of the first gen population. The participants are from all 23 CSU campuses. The trainers provided opportunity to collaborate and network, learn about the resources on our campuses, and get acquainted with student development theory as it applies to first generation college students.

The second one, Mental Health First Aid, gives me the psychological insight to know how and when I can help a student early on in their emerging struggles with mental health. It is like learning CPR & First Aid. It is administered by an outside agency, the Mental Health First Aid Initiative, and led by two CSU faculty who are trained facilitators.

Given the impact COVID-19 has had on our collective mental health, I figured I should take this class to be more helpful to the students in my classroom. Although I already have a counseling degree in student development in higher education, the MHFA class built on that knowledge.

Both courses required a lot of independent and collaborative work, reading, commenting on posts, and demonstrating engagement and mastery. The biggest unintended outcome however was it reminded me of the experiences of the students in my classroom.

My PD courses were in Canvas, had assignments, modules, grades, attendance, and a group project. All these components are aspects of the classes that I teach. As educators we often forget what it is like to be a student, to navigate the Canvas LMS (learning management system) while also juggling all the other aspects of our lives.

During the summer both my children are home. This summer is pretty pivotal because both are now applying for jobs. One is also preparing for college applications, and the other is planning a Quinceañera. These are just my family obligations.

My company, the Colégas Group, is also sponsoring an API™ Scholar Retreat which I have to market nearly every day and prepare for. I also have been hired to do a professional development training for a nearby school district. AND finally, I’m doing an audit of my Ethnic Studies 101 course and revamping it before I launch it again in the fall.

So yes…I’m very busy. In the midst of all this busyness I have to keep up with my PD course studies and not let my group project members down. This is the reality of my students during the school year. They face similar challenges. I need this reminder in order to remain an effective educator. You probably do as well.

So next time you are asked by your department administrator to participate in a PD, groan…that’s normal. But also see it as an opportunity to reconnect with your students’ experiences. Lifelong learning is a great catchphrase until you actually have to live it out.

Educators don’t get a pass in living out the idea of lifelong learning. We have to remind ourselves what we ask our students to do. We have to remember what it is like to not be the “more knowable other” all the time. We have to remember what it feels like to struggle in our learning. Being an educator requires us to revisit this experience once in a while to remind ourselves what we are doing in the classroom.

We only have the students for a short time in their lives. Let’s make sure it is as meaningful and positive as possible.