As a sophomore, I took drivers’ ed during summer school. In undergrad, summer session was a staple: I took at least one class every June. And both my graduate programs went straight through the summer. So I am no stranger to summer school. In fact, I have benefited from these experiences.
My students have also benefited from summer school. Some go for enrichment. Others attend to free up space in a schedule constrained by courses like band or AP Literature. And still others attend for credit recovery.
For teachers, summer school also has benefits. The extra paycheck can be “the garage door” or “Becky’s braces” or “vacation money.” Other teachers enjoy getting to know some of their new students. Teachers can start to build relationships, to model behavior, and to begin teaching routines. During summer classes, there’s less crunch time, so teachers can often try out new lessons.
Summer school is positive. I am not trying to suggest otherwise, but teaching it is just not for me.
This post this post may contain affiliate links. Please read the Terms of Use.
Skipping as Self Care
This is my number one reason for not teaching in June! Pressing “pause” gives me time to refocus for next year. Cult of Pedagogy describes this kind of self care as the “catalyst for [future] productivity.” In the end, I am a more successful teacher because I do not teach summer school.
As most teachers know, teachers don’t stop thinking about teaching in the summer. However, summer break provides perspective, which can be an invaluable part of understanding the classroom and the teacher’s role in learning. This kind of perspective can also provide time for reflection. For more ideas about school-life balance, check out these posts:
- Confessions of a Recovering Teacher Martyr
- The No. 1 Greatest Lie about Teacher Self-Care
- What I Learned in a Year of Sustainable Teaching
- Teachers Aren’t Candles and Other Classroom Myths
- What I’m Keeping from My Year of Pandemic Teaching
- Anti-Resolutions: What We Can Give Up in the New Year
- 3 Ways to Find Peace of Mind When the World is in Pieces
Instead of Teaching Summer School
While I am not teaching, here are some of the ways I hope to continue to improve myself this summer:
Book Club: The librarians at my school host summer book clubs for teachers! This year we’re reading Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. Other recent reads can be found here, here, and here.
Creative Pursuits: Summer is also a time to indulge my creative side! Sometimes this creativity is crafty, but other times it’s classroom directed. Like many teachers, I use break as a time to create materials and lessons I don’t have time to create during the school year.
Build a Habit: It takes time to form habits! As teachers, we know the value of procedures in the classroom. The same is true outside the classroom! Last summer I worked to create an exercise habit. I’ve mostly maintained this habit, and it’s one I want to keep up next year, too. This summer I’d like to build some habits related to Moore-English.com.
What about you? Is summer school on your schedule?
