PUTNAM COUNTY, TENN. – When the word “blitz” is used this time of year, it’s usually in relation to a football team preparing for the upcoming season. But this week, there is a different type of “blitz” going on at Avery Trace Middle School.

The Summer Blitz brings together several hundred Putnam County teachers for a week of training in preparation for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

“Summer Blitz is a week where we provide professional development opportunities for our teachers,” said Judy Schinbeckler, PCSS Supervisor for Professional Development/Licensure. “It’s something optional we do. By the end of the week, we will have several hundred participants.”

While this week’s training is purely optional, it does provide an opportunity to help teachers get the 30 hours of training required by state law.

“We just offer all of these different trainings and encourage teachers to attend,” Schinbeckler said. “It gives our district specialists an opportunity to come in and offer some sessions they really need to be sharing with their teachers and some curriculum planning and things like that.”

On Monday, several teachers piled into the ATMS lecture hall to learn about the new math curriculum while others were in classrooms focusing on curriculum planning, scope and sequence, and teacher collaboration. All of the sessions scheduled for the week are to give Putnam County educators a headstart on the new school year.

“It helps me get back into the swing of things and get back into the school mindset,” said Kelsey Talkington, a kindergarten teacher at Algood Elementary School. “It’s like a soft launch back into the school year. I definitely think it’s helpful.”

Training sessions are scheduled from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. and then from noon to 3 p.m. each day this week. The 2023-2024 school year begins on Friday, July 28 with registration day and a 10 a.m. dismissal. The first full day of school is set for Tuesday, Aug. 1.