The Summer I Traveled: 3 Teacher Professional Development Opportunities

CSPAN trip- Washington DC- shirt from @teachersgram

I finally had some time to sit down and actually write about how my summer went! People literally kept asking me all summer how my trips were, where I was going, how I managed to get accepted to all of these things, and most importantly, how in the world I managed to do it all. So let me just start by saying... it was HARDDDDD. Especially because I was still breastfeeding and pumping for a good portion of the summer, I was teaching swimming lessons throughout June, I had three kids home, and somehow I was also traveling around for professional development. There were definitely moments when I thought, "What in the world am I doing?!" But now that I can look back on the summer, I am SO glad I said yes to all of these opportunities.

I figured the easiest way to tell you all about it would be to break it up into the three big trips I took this summer, because each one was completely different and I got something different from each experience.

Trip #1: The Louisiana Teacher Academy at The National WWII Museum

My first trip was back to New Orleans for the Louisiana Teacher Academy at The National WWII Museum. This was actually my second year attending the week-long teacher training, and it is seriously one of my favorite professional development opportunities. If you have never heard of the Louisiana Teacher Academy, you need to keep an eye out for when applications open!

The academy is hosted at The National WWII Museum, and they really take such good care of the teachers who attend. We stay at the beautiful Higgins Hotel, they pay our mileage, feed us breakfast and lunch every day, and then every afternoon we get to go out and eat in New Orleans. I mean... professional development, New Orleans, and amazing food? Win, win, win.

Of course, the best part is the actual learning. This year was extra special for me because I was selected to be a Master Educator. I had to apply for the position along with around 30–40 other applicants, so I was really excited when I found out that I had been selected. I also received a stipend for serving in that role, which was an added bonus. As a Master Educator, I taught two lessons using the FREE curriculum from the museum. Getting to teach other educators using curriculum that I already love was such a cool experience.

And honestly, one of my favorite parts of these teacher opportunities is always the people. I met so many amazing educators, made new friends, learned from people who are experts in their fields, and came home with so many ideas that I could bring straight back into my own classroom.

If you are interested in attending a future Louisiana Teacher Academy, I highly recommend signing up for The National WWII Museum's Calling All Teachers newsletter. That is where they share updates about upcoming teacher opportunities and workshops. You can sign up here.

Trip #2: Harvard Business School and The Case Method Institute

Then came Harvard. Still kind of crazy to say that.

The Case Method Institute invited 500 educators from around the country to Boston to participate in their Case Method Institute at Harvard Business School. They covered our flights and hotel, which was amazing, but this was a VERY fast-paced two-day, one-night trip.

And when I say I spent a LOT of time in the airport, I mean a LOT of time. There were delays, more delays, and then even more delays. I actually missed the opening reception because of all of the travel delays, which was definitely a bummer. But once I finally got there, the actual professional development was so good.

This wasn't one of those professional development opportunities where you just show up, sit in a room, and listen to someone talk all day. There was a lot of preparation that happened before we even got to Boston. I completed around 20 hours of online coursework before attending the institute, and after completing the program, I am now certified to teach using the case method.

The case method is something I am really excited to bring into my Social Studies classroom because it gives students the opportunity to work through real-world situations, analyze evidence, discuss different perspectives, and defend their thinking. I am already thinking about how I can use it with my students this year.

And if this sounds like something you would be interested in, you can actually apply to become certified too! You can learn more about the Case Method Institute and get started here.

Trip #3: C-SPAN Classroom in Washington, D.C.

I am literally in the CSPAN studio!!!

My third trip was probably my most memorable one of the summer. C-SPAN sent out applications earlier in the year, I believe it was in January, and I filled one out thinking, "Why not?" Then I completely forgot about it.

Until May.

That's when I received the email saying that I had been accepted!

A few days before I left for Washington, D.C., C-SPAN sent out press about the conference, and a couple of my local news stations picked it up. Suddenly I was on the news AND on the front page of the newspaper, which was pretty dang cool. You can read the article and watch the news story from The Daily Advertiser here.

C-SPAN flew us out to Washington, D.C. and put us up at the Phoenix Park Hotel, which was absolutely perfect. We spent three days doing professional development, they fed us breakfast every morning, we toured C-SPAN headquarters, they took us to a Nationals game, and we had time to explore several of the Smithsonian museums. It was a four-day trip and we packed SO much into those four days.

But again, one of my favorite parts was the people. I met some of the most amazing educators from all over the country. We all teach different things and come from different places, but we all have that same love for teaching and learning. There is something really special about being surrounded by other educators who just get it.

And of course, getting to be in Washington, D.C. as a history teacher was pretty much a dream come true. If you teach Social Studies, you definitely need to check out C-SPAN Classroom. They have so many free resources for teachers, and I know I will be using a lot more of them in my classroom this year. You can check out C-SPAN Classroom here.

So How Did I Do All of This?

Honestly, I don't really know.

Looking back at the entire summer, it sounds a little crazy. I was breastfeeding and pumping for part of the summer, teaching swimming lessons in June, raising three boys, traveling, trying to keep up with everything at home, and preparing for another school year. It was hard. There were definitely days when I was exhausted and wondering how I was going to keep everything together.

But it was also so worth it.

I came out of this summer with new certifications, new teaching strategies, new curriculum ideas, new friends, new connections, and memories that I know I will have for years to come.

And I want to make something really clear because I get asked about this a lot. None of these opportunities happened because I am a teacher influencer. They happened because I applied.

I saw an opportunity and thought, "Why not me?" So I filled out the application. I took the chance. Sometimes I didn't even think I had a shot, and sometimes I completely forgot that I applied until an acceptance email showed up months later.

I am incredibly grateful for the platform I have as a teacher creator, but that isn't why I was sitting in these rooms. I was there because I am a teacher who wants to keep learning.

I am writing all of this because I want other teachers to know that these opportunities are out there. You don't have to be a teacher influencer. You don't have to have a huge following. You don't have to know exactly what you are doing. Sometimes you just have to find the opportunity, fill out the application, and take a chance on yourself.

And I couldn't have done any of this without my actual support system. My husband and my mom took off work to help with the kids while I was gone, drove me to the airport, helped make sure everything at home kept running, and have supported all of my crazy ideas and goals along the way. I truly could not do this without them.

I always say that I am a mother first, a teacher second, and an influencer is just the cherry on top. That is genuinely how I feel. My family comes first. My students come second. Content creation is something I get to do alongside those things.

So if you are a teacher reading this and thinking, "I could never do something like that," I hope you don't count yourself out. Start looking for opportunities. Apply for the thing. Send the email. Take the chance. You might not get accepted the first time, and you might apply for something and never hear anything back. But you might also get an email one day saying, "Congratulations! You've been accepted."

And then you might find yourself sitting in New Orleans, at Harvard Business School, or in Washington, D.C., wondering how the heck you got there.

I know I did.

Looking back, it was a long, exhausting, busy, and absolutely incredible summer. I learned so much, met so many amazing people, and came home with a whole new list of things I want to bring into my classroom this year.

Now I just have to figure out how to actually fit it all into my lesson plans.

xoxo- Mrs. Richie