Surviving the summer as a teacher is no easy task. It mostly involves a lot of apologetic, "Oh, well it's summer, so I'm not working right now," when friends ask what you're up to these days. They are definitely jealous, but I've heard it said that teachers don't get summers off, they just do twelve months' worth of work in ten. Sounds about right. No one should be jealous of teachers in May.
So, while the alarm clock takes a breather for a couple months, the job never truly ends. For those new teachers (like myself), figuring out the balance between work and play takes just about the whole summer. Here's how I've been managing the freedom of summer with the impending first day of school.
Workday Wednesdays
Ever since college and my discovery of "the library," I haven't been able to get solid work done at home. So, I decided to pick one day a week to go to campus and get ready for the fall, and thus Workday Wednesday was born. I used a couple hours during each Wednesday to check things off my to-do list: rearrange desks, decorate, clean out cabinets, and anything else I wouldn't have time to do during the school year. This way, I'm only thinking about work on Wednesdays, and I feel less guilty sleeping until noon the majority of the week.
Daycations
12 weeks off? That's so much time, so we thought. Now it's almost August and i haven't done half the things I wanted to do this summer, like go paddle boarding or add another ear piercing to the collection. At the same time, having each minute scheduled can feel very un-summery. I suggest planning a few great "daycations" and adventures you definitely want to do. For me, it was a hike in Malibu, concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and several games of backyard corn hole with friends. With the rest, be spontaneous and see what comes your way.
How are you spending your summer? Are you working on campus, or have you sworn to stay away until the first day of school?
So, while the alarm clock takes a breather for a couple months, the job never truly ends. For those new teachers (like myself), figuring out the balance between work and play takes just about the whole summer. Here's how I've been managing the freedom of summer with the impending first day of school.
Workday Wednesdays
Ever since college and my discovery of "the library," I haven't been able to get solid work done at home. So, I decided to pick one day a week to go to campus and get ready for the fall, and thus Workday Wednesday was born. I used a couple hours during each Wednesday to check things off my to-do list: rearrange desks, decorate, clean out cabinets, and anything else I wouldn't have time to do during the school year. This way, I'm only thinking about work on Wednesdays, and I feel less guilty sleeping until noon the majority of the week.
Daycations
12 weeks off? That's so much time, so we thought. Now it's almost August and i haven't done half the things I wanted to do this summer, like go paddle boarding or add another ear piercing to the collection. At the same time, having each minute scheduled can feel very un-summery. I suggest planning a few great "daycations" and adventures you definitely want to do. For me, it was a hike in Malibu, concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and several games of backyard corn hole with friends. With the rest, be spontaneous and see what comes your way.
How are you spending your summer? Are you working on campus, or have you sworn to stay away until the first day of school?