The Next Thing

Thoughts on "summer mode" and why I don't (just) sit with my feet up

My last newsletter included a little reflection on wrapping up the school year using the analogy of planting seeds. It was a good academic year. Things wrapped up well. I’m proud of the work I did this year, the relationships I invested in, the teaching and learning I’ve been able to do. And now, I’m fully into “summer mode” at this point.

Yes, I’m back on my bike! (Of course!)

But what does that even mean?

In my case, “summer mode” means working at my own pace…but I’m also thinking ahead to the “next things” on my list…

• I start teaching for our summer Master of Education term on Monday. I’m teaching two courses this summer, both of which I love to teach, but for very different reasons. One is “Issues in Education”—typically one of the first courses most students will take in our program, and one I have taught many times before. I love welcoming students in to the program, and encouraging and equipping them to think Christianly about their craft, and about the issues they see in education.

• The other course is ambitiously entitled “Emerging Technologies.” This one is more squarely in my academic focus of the EdTech world. The joyful challenge of this course is that it’s at least a little different every time I teach it…because there are always new technologies that have developed or evolved since the last time around. I find I’m continually learning, right along with the amazing educators who take this one on! (Shameless plug: if you’re looking for a course to take even as a one-off for license renewal, this might be a good one for you! Here’s a trailer that will tell you more about the course and my approach for teaching it.)

• I’m already lining up speaking engagements for next year—I had a zoom call with a school today for a PD session we are planning for next March(!), and I have two emails I still need to send this afternoon about a Christian conference in October and a PD session I’m leading in August.

• I am hard at work on season 3 of my science podcast, It’s Good to Be Smart! New episodes should be coming out in a couple of weeks, and I’m pretty excited about this next season: “less-than-famous scientists who you definitely should know about.”

• I’m working on another book project right now too—more info to come about that one sometime soon!

• And, of course, all the little administrative details that come with being department chair for this amazing team of educators I am privileged to work with. I’m finishing up financial stuff for the year, working on lining up a couple adjunct instructors for the fall, and generally tying up loose ends for the 2024-25 academic year.

You might look at that list and thing, “This is ‘summer mode??’ Sounds pretty busy to me!” I can totally see why you’d feel that way! But, truly, there is a lot of joy and delight for me in these different things I get to do (GET TO!) And the added bonus: so much of this is on my own personal time-table, and I can generally do it from where I want to—like the coffee shop, or my basement, or…well, I shouldn’t tell you where else I hide out, lest you come looking for me. :-)

What I’m trying to say here is this: educators need the change of pace that comes with the summer months. But there isn’t just one way to “rest” during the summer months. I’m also getting out and walking my dog, and pedaling my bike, and reading for pleasure, and hanging out with my wife and kids, and doing other restful things. And the work being much more flexible is also a blessing.

I’m grateful for a great academic year. I’m grateful it closed up well. I’m grateful for the chance to take a breath, for a couple weeks at least.

And…I’m also grateful that I can continue to do this good work that I love so much, albeit at a “summer mode” pace.

Dave’s Faves

Here are three things I’m absolutely loving right now that I hope you might love too…

Dave’s Fave #1: The Residence

I love murder mysteries. Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors. I loved the Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman Sherlock series on the BBC. Knives Out and The Glass Onion are just such good fun!

And if this sounds like you too, I have a Netflix series to recommend. The Residence is the story of a murder that happens at the White House during a state dinner, and OH what a cast of characters there are! The Capitol Police, who have jurisdiction in Washington DC bring in the world-renowned detective, Cordelia Cupp to help them solve the case—while the dinner attendees are kept through the night in the White House. Told through a series of flashbacks at a congressional hearing, the story is clever with a few genuine surprises, a few excellent red herrings, and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. There is plenty of adult content (it is a murder mystery, and there is quite a bit of language and some sexy stuff) so caveat emptor. But I found it both hilarious as well as an intriguing, well-told whodunit.

Image via Wikipedia.

Dave’s Fave #2: Everything is Tuberculosis

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my recent review of John Green’s latest book, Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection. It was an excellent read, and I would encourage you to add it to your own reading list. (I love the audiobook, read by the author, which I was able to access for free through the Libby app.)

Here was my Instagram review, in case it helps you determine whether this book is for you:

My latest read: John Green’s latest book, Everything is Tuberculosis. I loved this book, and I hated this book. It is so well-written and full of thoughtful, emotional storytelling. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, Green tells the very human history of tuberculosis, in the process explores illness, identity, and the fragile beauty of human connection. All of it, of course with Green’s signature empathy and wit—the book feels a little like his previous book, The Anthropocene Reviewed, but with a clear call to action: as a species, we could CLEARLY end tuberculosis as the most deadly communicable disease, if we would only choose to do so, because we definitely have the medicines and capabilities to treat and cure this disease. I found myself frustrated by the struggles of the real people Green has met who are personally afflicted with TB, because they are generally suffering needlessly—their illness could be cured if we would just have the will to do so! Yet I was also deeply encouraged by their resilience and the incredible ways they advocate against the stigma of their disease. It’s a book that is going to linger with me—one that challenges, comforts, and ultimately affirms the messy, human journey of meaning in the face of tragic adversity. I absolutely encourage you to read this one, and I suspect you will find it a profoundly moving read.

Dave’s Fave #3: Through the Deep, Dark Valley

I know I’ve shared music by The Oh Hellos here many times before, but I feel I have to keep this band in front of you all. (They are my favorite right now!) Their first full album, Through the Deep, Dark Valley is fantastic, and more than a decade on, I think it totally holds up. Full of themes and images inspired by scripture—while not being a “Christian band”—The Oh Hellos hold both their artistry as well as their faith in each hand. Perhaps my favorite song on the album is “I Was Wrong,” but my favorite song title is “The Lament of Eustace Scrubb”…which will almost certainly resonate with anyone who has read C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.

I hope you’ll give this one a listen, and drop me a comment to let me know what you think.

The Last Word!

For those of you who have finished your own academic year, congratulations! I hope that your own transition into “summer mode”—whatever that looks like for you—is a good one. And for those good folks who have a few days or weeks left, hang in there, friends! It’s good work we get to do, and the different pace of “summer mode” is coming your way. Grace and peace to you all.

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