With the summer coming to a close, most people think that teachers have the summer off, but to the contrary, Long Island’s educators have the “summer on!” Teachers like the ones below, take intensive courses, coordinate summer learning programs, tutor, volunteer and work at various summer camps across Long Island. The following are just a few short examples.
As a social studies teacher and certified school librarian, I love to travel on my own and with my students. I feel it is one of the most important investments to make in life. Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. I run a travel program with a private company EF Tours (Educational First). This summer I successfully completed my 15th tour with students. I usually run two trips a school year and they are typically 36-42 travelers. This past summer tour was my second small tour and it included 9 student travelers and two adult chaperones. We visited Turkey, Greece & Italy. The kids learn about history as it comes to life and they learn many life lessons and a lot about themselves. Travel is essential in shaping the lives of our youth and by experiencing a variety of cultures and history. These students develop leadership skills, how better to serve their communities, build friendships and increase their world understanding. My goal is to make my students travelers and not just tourists. These student travelers learn to seek and not just see. In addition to my travels with my students, I prepare for the school year and teaching 9th grade honors World History. I revisited sites that will be taught in my classroom such as the Pantheon and island of Delos. It was impressive on so many levels and I know my students loved Turkey just as much as I did. We visited the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. They were both spectacular!
– Camille Tedeschi, Huntington High School.
I attended a Summer Intensive Program in Connecticut for five weeks. The program requires 3 summers to obtain a Master’s degree in music education through the University of Hartford’s Hartt School. The reason it’s called an intensive is because in five weeks you do the same amount of work as you would in a full-time semester in a master’s program, 7 to 8 courses equaling about 16 credits. Because Hartt is in Connecticut, I am relegated to living in the dorms for five weeks during which the program runs. This actually helps because the other music teachers in the program work together to collaborate and help each other study, and offer each other support because the program is really intense and can be stressful. We all help each other get through it and feel really proud at the end of each summer.
– Krissy Brock, Rockville Centre
After attending the AFT Conference, I stayed an extra 2 days in DC to go sightseeing. As a US History Teacher, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tour the monuments. I saw the Vietnam, Korean, and WW2 memorials. I also walked around the memorials built for Washington, Jefferson, FDR, and DC’s newest memorial for MLK. While walking around the city, I stumbled upon a presidential memorabilia store. After talking to the owner about my work as a History Teacher, he gave me an original newspaper from JFK’s inauguration day!
-Amanda Mayr, Hicksville
Sign up to receive our free e-newsletter: The Long Island Educator
This public e-newsletter is intended to educate our political friends and neighbors, community allies and the press and media as to the important work we do, the charities we care about and the challenges we face.
Thank you for your interest in The Long Island Teachers.
Teachers from South Country CSD worked diligently this summer alongside staff developers, graduate students, students and parents. South Country had a three week long summer school where teachers taught reading and writing workshop to students in grades 1-5. Teams of teachers planned and implemented both whole group and small group lessons throughout the sessions.
During the summer South Country teachers also participated in a Summer Learning Collaborative. These teachers partook in learning walks in which they could visit classrooms during summer school instruction to reflect on best practices. The Summer Learning Collaborative also provided professional resources and outside staff developers. Teams of teachers attended workshops on reading strategies, writing workshop and began to read professional text in book clubs.
Three parent workshops were held throughout the summer which allowed teachers to share with parents some of the strategies they were learning as well as ways to support reading and writing at home. Parents were able to walk away with toolkits of materials to use with their children. Teachers, parents and students who were involved in this work through the summer all walked away with valuable experiences.
-Bellport Teachers Association
