Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts

Sunday, June 11, 2023

Summer Self-Care: A Teacher's Guide to Refresh, Recharge, and Rejuvenate

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.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

5 MORE THINGS EVERY TEACHER SHOULD DO EACH SUMMER

I previously posted my 5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer, which I still stand by and highly recommend you check out. But let's be honest: as teachers we put our whole heart and 99.7% of our energy into teaching during the school year so we have a lot to make up for come summer time. That's why I've got:


5 More Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer - Disorderly Teaching



1. Read


Perhaps I'm a little biased as a Reading teacher, but I think everyone should have a stack of books ready to read when they have some free time. I get a little overzealous with this each year and take home way more than I could possibly read. This year I brought home:

The Secret Life of Bees
Fever 1793
Speak
Paper Towns
Okay for Now
Unwind
A Lesson Before Dying
Kiss Kill Vanish

I also brought home several academic books to skim over the summer, and Mechanically Inclined to read. And I have several academic articles and research reports to look at. And books on hold at the library. And then I bought a new book... So yeah, I went a bit crazy.



2. Improve Your Health


Have you run yourself ragged during the school year? (Who am I kidding? Of course you have!) Take some time this summer to rejuvenate and take care of yourself. My primary goals this summer are to get back to eating healthy meals, and to get on my treadmill! I started the Zombie 5k program forever ago but never finished. This summer I'm committed to completing the program.

Also go and pamper yourself a bit. Get a fresh haircut, a nice pedicure, or a relaxing massage. If you don't want to spend a lot, look for a beauty school or college nearby that offers discount services for letting students do the work. Students in those schools need a certain number of practice hours and they're always looking for new victims volunteers.



3. Purge


This can apply to your home or your classroom (if you're crazy like me and will going in during the summer). Chances are you've got stacks of old receipts to file, old gifts you never wanted, clothes that don't fit, outdated class posters from the 80s, and some expired cough drops sitting around. Time to get rid of the junk, and breathe in a sigh of relief when you see how much more open your space becomes. If you haven't already read it, check out The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The author does get a little extreme and spiritual with her belongings, but it gave me the motivation to finally get rid of tons of clutter. Also, rolling your socks is the best thing ever.



4. Socialize


When's the last time you talked to your second cousin who has the same unique hobby as you? Was your nephew teething the last time you saw him and now he's applying for college? Now's the time to reach out. Sure, take a few weeks at the start of summer to hibernate and recharge, but then get out there. Look up some old friends, get together with family, go out with colleagues with a "no work talk" rule, or even just spend some quality time with members of your own household. Trust me, being aspie, this is hard for me, but I know there are benefits and it's worth the effort.



5. Make a List



Hmm, maybe this should have been the first thing on this list, but oh well. It's already typed and I'm too lazy to renumber everything now. Plus I want reading to be first because, you know - biased Reading teacher.

Anyway, one thing I find most years is that I let the summer get away from me. A week or two of just relaxing turns into a month and a half, followed by panic of "Where did the summer go?!" and "I didn't do anything!" So if you follow nothing else in this post, at least do this: Take a few minutes to sit down and put together a master list of what you want to do this summer. There should be fun and relaxing stuff, home projects or tasks you need to take on, and some work related stuff you never have time for during the school year.

To make this easier for you I've put together a printable summer planner which you can grab for free here:

Summer To Do List printable - Disorderly Teaching


Looking for ideas? Here's my list:

Summer To Do List example - Disorderly Teaching

So, what are your plans for the summer?



Note: this post contains a few affiliate links for books, which means I receive small commission if you decide to purchase anything through Amazon using my links. I only recommend items I've purchased and used myself, so trust that everything I post is legit, and I haven't received anything free or been asked to post any of these items : )

Saturday, July 18, 2015

5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer

5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer - Disorderly Teaching

Yes, summer time is finally here! It's the moment you've been looking forward to for at least the last month or two (don't deny it). If you're anything like me, come the end of the summer you'll be wondering "Where did all of the time go?" and "What did I even do?" With that in mind I can up with five things we should all do each summer.



5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer - Disorderly Teaching

Take Time to Relax


I don't know a single teacher who isn't mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted by the time they walk out the doors at the end of the school year. You've worked hard and earned this break, so take advantage of it.

Now, relaxing means different things to different people. For me, it's letting my body sleep as much as it wants (often over 10 hours a night at the beginning of summer when my body is recouping). For my friend, it's waking up early to hit the beach in time for sunrise, and for another it's RV'ing around the country.

So, figure out what it is helps you relax, and seek it out. I have a rule at home, that I'm not doing anything for the first week of summer but relaxing. Institute the same rule if you need to and hit the spa, read a book in the backyard, do some coloring, or practice Tai Chi in the park. Whatever works for you, do it.



5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer - Disorderly Teaching

Tackle a big non-work project


I think it's in our nature for teachers to give their all to their students and lessons during the school year, often to the detriment of things at home. I know I'm guilty of it at least. That's why each summer I try to tackle at least one large home project, and try to make some progress on a few others as well. This will help give you a sense of accomplishment, and reconnect you to life outside the classroom.

For me this year, it's finishing painting our house. Last spring we began searching for a home to purchase, intending to buy at the start of summer. We figured we'd have several weeks before move in to paint the house and get everything ready. Of course that didn't happen. We closed less than a week before the start of the school year so we're way behind where we'd like to be with the house.

So this summer try tackling some home upgrades, deep clean the house, or finally clear out and organize that walk-in closet. Of course if you have kids, just keeping up and spending time with them may be enough of a project. : )



5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer - Disorderly Teaching

Learn something about your field


It seems that educational best practices change all the time, and it can be hard to keep up. I try to read anything that comes my way during the school year, and check Pinterest regularly then as well but there's still so much to learn. That's why I try to actively learn during the summer.

This year I'm attending a CHAMPS training offered by our district (I made my sister sign up too. Always bring a friend to trainings if you can!). Most districts offer in person or online trainings for free, so see if any are of interest to you. It sucks to give up a day of vacation, but it's often well worth it.

No trainings offered near you? No problem. Time to check out some of those amazing education books you've heard so much about. Reading The Book Whisperer two summers ago completely changed my teaching, so I always write down books people are raving about (suggestions welcome). I just read The CAFE Book to see how well it can apply to high school, and have a few more books waiting in the wings .

And of course there's the internet. I have a board on Pinterest titled Read then Pin, for all of those interesting sites, blogs, and articles I come across but don't have the time (or mental energy) to read when I find them. Each summer I work to clear that board out.



5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer - Disorderly Teaching

Sort computer files


If your district is like mine, then chances are they tell you to back up your teacher computer files over the summer, in case anything happens to the network. As much of a pain that is, I've turned it into an opportunity to be more organized.

Every year I start with a great file system in my computer, but over time it gets jumbled. I make an assessment that covers several subjects and I'm not sure where to put it, so it sits in My Documents. I accumulate tons of random files I downloaded from TPT to check out and never organized or deleted. I may also have come up with a new way of organizing during the year that I want to try out.

So, each summer I take all of my files home on a USB drive. I sort through EVERYTHING, and refile them in folders that make sense to me now. When I go back to school in August, I copy everything to my work computer and I'm cleaned up and ready to go.

I know being able to do this may not come naturally to many people, so check out my post: How to Organize Teacher Computer Files in 5 Easy Steps

BONUS: This is a good time to clear out e-mails as well. In g-mail, labels and archive are your friends! Don't be afraid to delete things you don't really need.



5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer - Disorderly Teaching

Plan for the coming year


I won't get into a huge post here about how to plan for the school year (just Google or search Pinterest for teacher planning, long range teacher plans, teacher curriculum plan, or View my Planning board here.

Bottom line is that it is SOOOO worth planning out your year ahead of time. Start by asking yourself the most crucial skills your students need to learn. Then try to arrange them so they build on each other. Even just having that simple framework of what to teach in what order will have you feeling far more sane as the new year approaches : )



So, those are my suggestions for teachers this summer. Is there anything I missed? Anything you can't stand? What are your plans for the remainder of this summer? Tell me in the comments below.