A peek into what’s coming this summer …

Summer is the busiest time of year for me, with lots of professional development and trainings around the country.

I also tend to offer more online resources/trainings in the summer since I know that’s when educators are most likely to have the time and mental bandwidth.

So, I thought I’d drop a short note to let you know what I’ve been working on and what’s coming up this summer …

I just wrapped up a teacher retreat last weekend at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, PA, and I'm already looking forward to another teacher retreat coming up in July 24-26 in Old Fort, NC (there are 5 spots remaining if you want to join us.)

These in-person retreats have become some of my favorite ways to support teachers and provide a chance for you all to decompress from the constant overstimulation and have someone take care of YOU for a change.

(And–this is new–over Labor Day weekend, I'm running an End-of-Summer Camp for Grown Ups. It’s an in-person retreat open to anyone who wants a few days to slow down and have some fun before the summer ends.) All the retreat info can be found here.

Speaking of which, I'm hosting a free at-home retreat this weekend, June 26-28, called The Reset. It's designed to offer a restorative experience with guided audio practices (breathwork, yoga, forest bathing, sound meditation and more) that you can do entirely on your own schedule. It’s a great way to help your nervous system drop into summer mode more quickly so you can unwind.

As for professional development, my primary focus right now is supporting educators as they grapple with the simultaneous push toward AI and the turn away from constant screens and tech integration.

Artificial intelligence is being integrated in every tech tool we use, whether teachers want it or not, and there’s both pressure and benefits to exploring it. At the same time, we’re seeing the detrimental effects of AI and excessive screen time, and many schools are returning to more offline instruction.

My role is supporting schools as they navigate these seemingly competing interests.

To make this training available to more folks, I'll be running a two-day virtual training from 10:00 am-12:30 pm on July 13-14 called Stay Human: Finding Your Ethical Stance on AI as an Educator. It’s designed to help you get clear on how artificial intelligence fits into your personal teaching philosophy, and how to make informed decisions aligned with your values.

More details coming soon, but if you know you're in, sign up here. or you need the PD credits (a 5 hour certificate is provided for the live training, or a 7 hour certificate if you complete additional self-guided assignments.)

The early bird price is $47 to attend live and gain access to the recordings. And, if you’re a member of my 40 Hour AI program, this is included for you at no charge.

Finally, I’m working on some new podcast episodes this summer, including:

What does learning science actually say about AI in the classroom? (with Erin Mote)
Distress tolerance: the missing piece in classroom management
Think out loud: teaching the hidden skills of planning and prioritizing

In case you missed it, here’s some of what I’ve been talking about recently on the show:

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One final project: I'm working on a version of my Finding Flow Solutions curriculum for parents. The classroom version helps K-12 students manage their time, energy, and focused attention, but these are skills that families can (and should) instill at home. I

If you have a student who struggles to focus or stay on-task and the parents don’t know how to help, these resources will loop families in on the neuroscience and best practices as they work with their kids to strengthen executive functioning. I’m starting with the K-2 version and working up from there, and I’ll let you know as each resource is released.

That's my summer work-wise, but there’s lots of fun stuff and relaxation too, including celebrating my birthday and wedding anniversary which are both in June. (We went to Italy and Turkey, which was amazing!) And for 10 days this summer, I’ll be taking a break from everything to visit extended family, and enjoy the pool, homemade ice cream, and lots of time for reading and relaxing.

Have a wonderful summer, and let me know if there’s anything I can offer to support you or your school.

Angela