Beyond the Bell: The Dedicated Summer of Our Educators

by Melissa Cobb—Senior Program Manager

As the school year comes to a close, that familiar feeling of summer anticipation grows ever stronger. Families are planning trips, students are counting down to camps or maybe even their first summer job, and schools are preparing for a summer reset. But what about our amazing teachers? While I’m sure a long period of rest sounds wonderful, the reality is that their dedication continues even when the hallways get quieter.

School hallways might be a little (or a lot!) quieter, but they certainly won’t be silent. Summer school, engaging camps, and other vital programs will be running throughout the break, all thanks to the incredible individuals who are deeply invested in the future success of our young people. Teachers will also be hard at work in their classrooms, those spaces where so much learning happens. They’ll be reimagining layouts, arranging and rearranging furniture, searching for that perfect environment to spark meaningful learning for a new group of students. They’ll be diving into new lessons, maybe even enlisting their own families as guinea pigs to test things out. But what truly stands out to me is their commitment to their own growth.

In a field that’s constantly evolving, these dedicated professionals, the ones shaping our future leaders, will also be attending professional development to learn the latest skills, techniques, and educational philosophies. Anyone who’s been in education for a while knows that best practices change rapidly. New priorities emerge, funding landscapes shift, and evolving technology brings both exciting possibilities and new challenges. Through it all, teachers seek new ways to connect with their students and to bring their lessons to life. This commitment equips educators with new teaching strategies, boosts their confidence, increases their job satisfaction, and ultimately leads to better outcomes for students.

During my time in the classroom, I always looked forward to professional development, especially the opportunities offered by Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance. One course that stood out as my favorite was SENSEsational Science, and it’s now my honor to be the one behind the scenes, planning learning experiences that I hope will continue to uphold our reputation as a leader in PD.

SENSE and the other TRSA professional learning experiences were inspiring, refreshing, and transformative. Discovering new resources and pathways, connecting with fellow educators, engaging in hands-on activities, and being challenged to try new approaches reignited my own love for teaching. These experiences helped me walk into the new school year feeling renewed, knowing that I’d grown as a professional and was ready to be even more effective than the year before.

I’m excited to welcome the next cohort of teachers to SENSEsational Science and Exponential Growth Math Institute. We were fortunate to receive over 120 applications for Exponential Growth and over 110 for SENSEsational Science. If we could, we would have a seat for every single applicant. The enthusiasm and drive of educators in our community will truly be the best part of my summer.

Whether you’re an educator dedicating your summer to professional growth, an administrator championing your staff’s development, a volunteer ensuring our events run smoothly, a funder making all of this possible, or simply a community member who values education, please know that here at TRSA, we see you, we appreciate your dedication, and we eagerly anticipate continuing our work together.