Why Summer Is the Perfect Time for Art Teacher Professional Development

Summertime: just hearing the word brings a smile to any teacher’s face. For many educators, it’s a time to recharge, reconnect with family, travel, etc. But there’s another activity that can make your summer even more fulfilling—professional development.

Too many art teachers have sat through PD sessions on generic strategies or district initiatives all the while wondering how they would apply these concepts in their art classroom. What if, instead of general or irrelevant sessions, art teachers could dive into learning experiences that are directly tied to their subject area? What a novel concept! That’s where summer professional development comes in. Unlike the hectic school year, summer provides a unique opportunity to focus on growth without the daily demands of classroom teaching or irrelevant district-wide initiatives. It’s a time when you can be the student and choose exciting topics that align with your professional goals.

Six Benefits of Summertime Professional Development

1. Nurturing Your Own Creative Practice: Being away from the pull of daily student commitments during the summer can provide much-needed time and space for educators to focus on their own artmaking. Nurturing studio practice strengthens teaching practice, helps educators relate to students’ experiences as well as appreciate their perspectives, and helps re-ignite the creative spark that energizes us all.
2. Personalized Learning: Whether it’s learning new art techniques, integrating technology into your classroom, exploring SEL, or other innovative teaching strategies, summer PD allows you to tailor your learning experience. This means you can focus on areas where you want to grow or explore new methods that can improve the effectiveness of your teaching.
3. Flexible Scheduling: Summer PD often offers more flexible scheduling compared to the school year. Many organizations, like Davis, provide online courses that you can complete at your own pace, which is very helpful in balancing learning with leisure. This flexibility means you can learn at times that suit you best, whether that’s early in the morning, late at night, or during a quiet afternoon. The ability to pause, reflect, and absorb new information without the immediate rush to apply it in a classroom setting can lead to deeper understanding and retention of new skills.
4. Enhanced Collaboration: Summer PD programs often bring together educators from various locations for networking and collaboration. Sharing ideas with peers can lead to new insights and inspire fresh approaches to teaching. Engaging with a diverse group of educators can also expose art educators to different perspectives and techniques that might not be available in local PD sessions.
5. Preparation for the New School Year: Use summertime PD to strategically plan and prepare for the fall. This time allows you to refine skills and integrate new knowledge into your lesson plans, so you’ll feel confident and ready to start the new year with a clear vision.
6. Rejuvenation: Being a teacher in 2024 is tough! The school year is demanding and leaves little time for personal growth. But as art teachers, your love for creativity helps you inspire and engage students through innovative projects and lessons. So why not take the time you need to rejuvenate your creative spark? During the summer many organizations offer “intensives” that are weekends, or weeklong opportunities to dive deeply into your own creative practice or professional learning. Summer PD is a great chance to reignite that passion and bring fresh ideas to your classroom.

Overcoming Barriers to Summer Professional Development

Implementing summer PD can be challenging due to various barriers, but recognizing these obstacles and finding realistic solutions is the first step to breaking them down. Here are some of the most common summer PD barriers and strategies to overcome them:

1. Budget Constraints: Many teachers and schools operate on tight budgets, making it difficult to allocate funds for professional development. To overcome this, teachers can:
   • Seek Out Free or Low-Cost Opportunities: Many organizations and museums offer free or affordable PD courses, webinars, and workshops. Organizations like NAEA, Art21, Ted-Ed, and even YouTube have valuable resources that can be accessed without breaking the bank.
   • Apply for Grants and Scholarships: There are numerous grants and scholarships available specifically for teacher PD. Organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and various educational foundations provide funding to help cover the costs of professional development.
2. Time Management: Balancing PD with personal commitments during the summer can be a challenge. To manage time effectively:
   • Create a Schedule: Plan out specific times for professional development activities, just as you would for vacations or family time. This helps ensure that you dedicate time to learning without feeling overwhelmed.
   • Choose Flexible PD Options: Find online courses and workshops that meet your scheduling needs. This flexibility helps fit PD into your schedule, not the other way around.
   • Set Realistic Goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your summer PD and set attainable goals. Prioritize the most important areas of growth and focus on those.
3. Access to Resources: Not all teachers have easy access to the resources needed for effective PD, such as technology, materials, or high-speed internet. Solutions include:
   • Utilize School Resources: Inquire about using school facilities and resources during the summer. Schools may be willing to provide access to their libraries, computer labs, or art supplies for PD purposes.
   • Leverage Community Resources: Public libraries, community centers, and local universities often provide access to technology and educational resources.
   • Collaborate with Peers: Form study groups or professional learning communities (PLCs) with fellow teachers. Tap into local and state art education associations to share resources and support.
4. Motivation and Engagement: Staying motivated to pursue PD during the summer can be difficult with so many distractions. To stay engaged:
   • Choose something fun! Learn a new technique or skill, play with art materials you haven’t experienced or have been considering for your classroom. Sign up with friends…
   • Choose Engaging and Relevant Topics: Select PD that excites you and is directly applicable to your teaching practice.
   • Set Personal Challenges: Challenge yourself to learn something new or perfect a specific skill. Setting personal challenges can increase motivation and provide a sense of accomplishment. For example, commit to writing articles for your state organization newsletter or a professional magazine like SchoolArts, or challenge yourself to send artwork for consideration in an upcoming exhibit.
   • Reward Yourself: Set up a reward system for completing PD milestones. Whether it’s treating yourself to new art supplies or a fancy new sketchbook, or simply taking time to relax, rewards can keep you motivated.
5. Lack of Institutional Support: Some teachers may not receive the necessary support from their schools or districts to pursue summer PD. To address this:
   • Explain Connections: Link the need for content-specific PD to district initiatives, state/national standards, curriculum development, and student achievement.
   • Communicate the Benefits: Share research and evidence on the positive impact of PD on teaching quality and student outcomes with your administration.
   • Showcase Success Stories: Provide examples of successful PD initiatives and their outcomes.
   • Build a Case for Collaboration: Propose collaborative PD initiatives that involve multiple teachers or departments.

Invest in Your Summer, Invest in Your Teaching

Summer professional development offers a unique opportunity for growth, learning, and rejuvenation. By tackling common barriers, art teachers can truly make the most of these valuable opportunities. With some careful planning and a bit of creativity, summer PD can transform your teaching practice and reignite your passion for art education. Embrace the chance to invest in yourself and your students—you’ll be glad you did.

Summer PD can transform your teaching practice and reignite your passion for art education.

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