Today, we’re back with our series How To Leave On Time and NEVER Take Papers Home Again and you’re not going to believe who is trying to take summer vacations away from teachers now!
Watch the YouTube video here >>> https://youtu.be/YP8SQaplBQg
       Summer vacation . . . the “perk” of being a teacher. No matter how inspired or empowered we feel about our jobs as teachers, time to relax and recharge is good and needed. Does it even feel possible though? Is it possible? We are learning, Created for Learning, seriously though, we have been learning about how different some teachers’ work environments are depending on the state or country they live in. We want to talk and learn from you about your experiences about whether you can use your summer to relax and recharge or if you NEED to prep for the school year for whatever reason you don’t have time to do it during the school year or if you just choose to prep.
       For some, due to finances, you need to get a job over summer. Some of you just might enjoy getting a seasonal job for a little extra fun money or just for something to do. Some of you have kids so your summers are filled with all the playing in sprinklers and eating watermelon and sunscreen.
Some of you choose to create things to use in your classroom. These things might make your class easier to manage or just be so exciting and fun to do. I did this. I would be inspired during the school year of a classroom activity that would be so helpful but didn’t have the time during the school year to make it. If I knew I was teaching the same grade, I’d create away because I enjoyed that, and didn’t have my own kids yet.
Some of you have schools/districts that “require” you to attend professional development courses or department plannings.
There are a ton of different reasons teachers choose to work over the summer. Then there are also a ton of different reasons we teachers complain that we’re overworked. The struggle is real. 🙂 We have those feelings right along with you. So we wanted to raise the conversation: “Why are we working over summers?”
Are you working because someone is making you?
Are you working because you feel like you ended the year behind and if you don’t work over you summer break, “Fate” will repeat itself and you’ll be behind next summer?
Or are you working because you love it? You feel alive and recharged after creating that lesson or poster? You now have time for a creative outlet and you love spending your time on that?
We don’t want to tell you WHAT to think about how you invest your time over summer. We want to encourage us all to think about HOW we’re thinking about our time over summer. So the answer to our hook about who is trying to take away your summer, the answer might be you.
So a question: Why do you feel you need to work over summer?
Another question: Are you working because it fills you up or working so it doesn’t drain you?
And does your choice usually lead you to complain later about how much you have to work and how tired you are?
Because if you’re complaining later, chances are you are not being recharged and you might need to relax instead … because maybe getting caught up so you can relax next summer is actually an illusion for you. Maybe you need to relax now.
Conversation of the Day: What kinds of preparation have you done over summers? What about this year? And how do you feel about your work/recharge balance?

Hop on over to watch the video and share your thoughts in the conversation.