Date: March 13, 2006
Contact: Lindsay Gladstone
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: l-gladstone@govst.edu
For immediate release:
March 13, 2006, University Park - Summer is a time for educators to relax, unwind, refresh, and revive. It is a time to put the education year behind them, take a deep breath, and, after a well-deserved rest, begin planning for the new school year.
“It is very important for teachers to relax after a busy and challenging school year,” said Dr. Steven Russell, Dean of the College of Education at Governors State University in University Park. “Without the rejuvenating effects of summer vacation, teachers are less able to face the rigors and demands of teaching a classroom of children for the next nine months.”
Russell and the other education professors at GSU realize that, while teachers need time off from the classroom, they also need the opportunity to refine and develop their skills as educators.
“Finding the balance between the time to rest and relax and the time to gain the knowledge educators need to enhance their qualifications and potentially increase their salaries is not easy,” explained Russell. “At GSU, we have developed a special program to help teachers fill both needs.”
Vacation Education for summer, 2006, begins days after the end of the school year on June 12 and finishes on August 3, weeks before the beginning of the next school year.
“Teachers need time for their families, vacations, and days at the beach. With Vacation Education, they not only have time before and after GSU classes, they have long weekends and time during the week throughout the summer.”
Vacation Education classes are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings and afternoons. Course variety includes such topics as teacher leadership, mathematics teaching strategies, reading remediation, and the psychology of the middle school student.
“Educators can attend one or two of these three-hour graduate level courses, gain knowledge, and still have time for the best days of summer.”
Russell noted that credits earned during Vacation Education may be applied to recertification requirements, professional development goals, or toward a Master’s Degree. Participants in Vacation Education need not be enrolled in the master’s study program.
For more information about Vacation Education, or to view a list of the courses offered during this special summer learning opportunity, call the College of Education at (708) 235-7577, or visit www.govst.edu/educ
