Summer break for teachers can hold a lot of expectations. It can also be hard to know what the best way is to use your time away from school. There’s probably a lot of articles out there about what you should do during summer vacation, so today I’m going to share 8 things teachers don’t need to do while they’re on summer break.
1. Spend all summer thinking about school.
It’s hard to turn your teacher brain off, but it’s so helpful to give yourself some space from school in the summer. It’s totally okay and healthy to take a mental break from thinking about lesson plans, curriculum, and standards. In fact, you’ll probably feel much more refreshed if you give yourself a break from school, at least for a portion of your summer vacation.
2. Justify why you have the summer off.
Part of the “deal” with teaching is a summer break. You don’t need to explain that to anyone. Even though random people, in real life or on the internet, like to make a big thing about teachers having time off, it’s how the job works. No one is telling a nurse who works 12 hour shifts that it’s “not fair” that they only work 3 days a week. It’s the same for teachers. While people are quick to say that having to buy 25 pencils, notebooks, and dry erase markers is “part of the deal” when you’re a teacher, having a couple months off in the summer actually is part of it. So, the next time someone makes a comment, smile, tell them it’s a nice perk of teaching, and then slide your sun glasses back down and go back to sunbathing (or, more realistically, roll back over and go back to your nap).
3. Buy all the things you see on social media.
Teachers on Instagram and Facebook tend to share their “hauls” during summer break. Whether it’s Target dollar spot find, new books, or half of the teacher supply store, you don’t need to buy anything just because someone else is. I know one of my biggest regrets in my first few years of teaching was all of my money I spent on my classroom. Am I opposed to buying a few things here and there if you want? Of course not, but don’t feel pressured to spend money simply because other teachers are.
4. Read a bunch of teacher PD books.
If you want to spend your summer vacation learning about guided reading, math talks, or a new way to connect with students, great! But, unless it’s required by school, it’s okay to just read for pleasure instead. Just like in point number one, sometimes the best PD is taking a break so you’re rested and refreshed when it’s time to head back to school.
5. Spends hours at school.
If you WANT to go in to school, go for it. But, until you’re required to come in by contract, you don’t HAVE to go in to school. There’s so much pressure to have a perfect classroom, that teachers often sacrifice their own mental health and peace to create one. First, your time is your time. Second, there’s no such thing as a perfect classroom. And finally, it can actually be a wonderful bonding experience and a great way to give students a sense of autonomy to have them help with some of the class organization and set up. So, if organizing your borders by alphabetical order or labeling everything in your classroom in the mid-July heat sparks joy, by all means. Otherwise, don’t feel pressure to spend hours and hours at school.
6. Completely redecorate your classroom.
Don’t feel pressured to come up with a new class theme or to rearrange your whole classroom. If it worked last year, it’s fine to keep things the same! This point is an extension of the fact that you do not need to spend tons of time and money on your classroom every year. If your current classroom set up/theme/style worked, it’s totally okay (and better for the planet) to leave things mostly how they are. It’s also a whole lot less work.
7. Be productive during summer break.
The school year is exhausting, and teachers rarely get a chance to stop the hamster wheel. The summer is YOUR time. Use your time how you need to and want to. If that means you paint your spare bedroom, learn to weave baskets, and climb a mountain, awesome! If that means you make camp on your couch watching Netflix and only get up for more snacks and bathroom breaks, also awesome.
8. Anything you don’t want to do.
Summer break is your time! If you want to work on school things, go for it! If you don’t? Go for it! You do whatever you want and need to so you feel ready for next year. Don’t let social media pressure, peer pressure, or your own internal pressure make you do anything you don’t want to. I know I personally like to do some school work in the summer and get my classroom in order a little early. This helps me feel less stressed when I do have to go back to school. I have teacher friends who leave it all until it’s time to go back. There’s no right way or wrong way to spend your summer vacation as long as you’re doing what works for you.
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