Anything. But do it differently. Get out of the rut before it becomes so deep you can’t.

It doesn’t have to be big or deep or highly innovative. It doesn’t need to be thoroughly planned out. You need an idea and then, using your creativity, allow the process to move the learning. Sometimes we are able to discover new ways of looking at something through allowing ourselves permission to see things in a new way.

As educators, we spend so much time in the boxes – planning, assessment, management, classroom, school… that we begin to put all things in boxes – time scheduled boxes – like when we have time to go to the bathroom.

Ever wonder why many European countries have a longer lunch and yet many teachers eat theirs in short snatches around supervision or assessment or other duties? What would happen if we didn’t rush? Do you even rush during the summer? Have you noticed what you do? Do you take time and do things differently long enough for the previous patterns to slowly let go? Do you keep a school-like routine during the summer – even planning your summer learning in a school-like manner? What if you didn’t? What if you flipped the whole thing? What would it do for you? Do you go to “Professional Learning” in school-like situations? How would a location change alter the experience? What about an edcamp in – a church, a mall, a yard….. what would happen to the learning?

Summer is a great time for trying different things but do you follow a pattern for this? Could this pattern be keeping you from seeing things in a different way? I know people go away but do you take your “learning patterns” with you? How have you altered what you do to see things differently? How have you innovated and reshaped so you can reflect on the changes?

What are you doing to change how you see things?