Summer Is Your Time To Deepen- Not Just Recharge
The end of another school year brings that familiar refrain: "I need a break."
And yes, you do.
But what if this summer could be something more than recovery time? What if it could be the season where you fundamentally shift how you show up for young people?
I've spent the last eight months working alongside adolescents, watching them navigate their own growth while I've been navigating mine. Every day, I'm reminded that our inner preparation—our ability to know ourselves so we can respond to the human beings in front of us—determines everything about how we act in the classroom.
This isn't about adding more techniques to your toolkit. It's about developing the internal capacity to be fully present with young people, to observe without judgment, and to respond from a place of deep understanding rather than reactive habit.
The Revolutionary Act of Slowing Down
In our achievement-obsessed educational culture, the most revolutionary thing an educator can do is slow down enough to truly observe. Not to assess, not to evaluate, not to fix, but to witness the unfolding of human potential with the same reverence a scientist brings to studying natural phenomena.
This summer, while other professional development asks you to learn new strategies or master new technologies, I'm inviting you to do something different: to develop the spiritual and observational capacities that will transform every interaction you have with young people.
Beyond Traditional Professional Development
The Enlightened Educator Workshop, A Magnanimity of Spirit: Resiliency and Inner Development for Progressive Educators, happening this Monday, virtually with the Hanahau'oli School, isn't your typical summer PD.
You'll leave with:
The Wellness Garden Framework for self-reflection that will help you show up more intentionally to your students and colleagues.
Prototypes of practices you'll take back to your communities.
Relationships with like-minded educators who understand that this work is about human flourishing, not test scores.
The Summer You Choose Growth Over Burnout
Every summer, educators face a choice: use this time to simply recover from the year that was, or use it to become the educator you're meant to be. Both are valid, but only one moves the needle toward the kind of education our young people deserve.
I'm not asking you to choose between rest and growth. I'm asking you to consider that the deepest rest comes from alignment—from knowing that you're developing the capacities that will allow you to show up more fully, more authentically, and more effectively when September arrives.
This is your invitation to make summer 2025 the season where you don't just recharge—you transform.
Because the young people in your care deserve an educator who has invested in becoming the person they're meant to be—and so do you.
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First Intention: Curriculum and pedagogy support for Montessori adolescent practitioners, specifically with math and language across the prepared environment.
The Enlightened Educator Project: Supporting educators with mindfulness and resiliency through professional development and downloadable resources.