Summer Reset for Teachers
I have been teaching in a public high school in a major U.S. City for nearly 20 years, and each year I long for the summer when I will feel totally renewed, refreshed, revitalized by the time school rolls around again in the Fall.
After years of disappointing summer routines: too lazy, too busy, too much teaching, too little preparation, too much preparation, lonely, not enough travel, I have come up with what I think is a balanced approach to the summer and a way to use those precious 60 (or so) days in the best way possible, to bring yourself back into equilibrium and start with a fresh slate, prepared and hopeful for the coming year
While none of these ideas are groundbreaking, I always find it useful to take a new approach, reflect on my life, refresh my perspective and start with a plan and a clean slate for a new year.
Tip #1: Get out of Town
I have found, over the years, that my best bet for a fresh start is to get out of town as soon as
school lets out. Just for a couple days. Otherwise I just get sad, like a bit lost. That is me, though.
You may be good with unstructured time, but many of my fellow colleagues are not so much.
As much as I want to be away from all the kids and the administrators and schedules and loud noises and early mornings and demands of teaching, I feel a big absence when it ends.
The transition between the end of school and the beginning of summer can be difficult for me. I have learned it is very helpful to get out of the city and into the woods for three full days. I usually take my husband or meet some friends at a campground in a nearby state park. The organization required to put together a camping trip with food and tents and bug spray and foldable chairs and books and swimsuits gives me some energy for the last weeks of school and gives me a fun and complicated event to plan for.
Helpful exercise:
Brainstorm some places you can get away to - even if it's just a day trip. Somewhere you can reset your mind and reorient to summer. Which of these places will be most useful to your mental and emotional reset? Can you find some time or space for yourself to reflect and be forward thinking?
