Many, many, many moons ago I wrote a blog post called 5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer. That list focused primarily on work you could do over the summer to improve your teaching, like sorting your computer files, attending professional development sessions, and planning your curriculum. One year later I wrote 5 More Things Every Teachers Should Do Each Summer, that included a bit more R&R but was still very "doing" focused. Back then I was young and spry, and the field of education hadn't imploded into a complete disasterpiece of stress, burnout, and political vilification.
So this year I'm presenting a new list, focused on self-care, because you put 19.7 months of work in this school year and dammit, you deserve a break!
While I am giving this as a list, you do not have to do all of this. I mean really you don't have to do any of it, but if you do, I highly suggest you pick and choose what appeals to you and will help you recharge. I tried to include a mix of things to appeal to different dichotomies like indoor or outdoor, active or passive, and social or independent, so you can find something you like regardless of if you're an extroverted mountain climber or an introverted gamer.
So without further ado, here are 9 ideas for how teachers can make the most of their summer break.
