Between visits with family (wonderful), leading a workshop (stressful), and getting over Vertigo (yuk), I feel  like summer work has only started today.
I am trying to use July to prepare for next fall (and not let the time slip away). Here's what I'm up to:

• Our faculty is reading Understanding by Design together (perhaps even in a lit circle on our faculty ning, thanks to Katie. Though I've read it before and use UBD as I plan, I am looking forward to seeing how this affects our teaching as a school.
• This year I'll be teaching the tried and true classics (To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet) as well as providing some YA Lit to my students. But I'll spend this month looking for creative ways to get them involved such as using hypertext. Here's an example for King Lear.
• Summer is when I catch up on my reading. Here's what's on my coffee table: Three Cups of Tea, The Geography of Bliss, Outliers, Here If You Need Me, The Book Whisperer, and Building Literacy Through Classroom Discussion. That's just a start.

As I sip my coffee, glancing up occasionally to watch the dog roll in the grass or to enjoy the flowers scattered around the garden, I can feel my brain clearing. My body is experiencing calming, physical changes as I move to this summer mode. I have been inspired by teacher Steve Shann to focus on meaningful and connected things.

I'm off to walk the dog.