I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day! I had a nice time seeing friends and family….no pool or beach but lovely none the less 
Since it is now the unofficial start to summer, and I am officially OFF for summer, I thought I would share my top five ways teachers can spend their summer break! Now, time for my disclaimer: I do not have children so some of these suggestions may not be right for everyone. I think spending time with your children is more important than any of these.
In no particular order, I bring you my top FIVE ways teachers can spend their summer breaks:
#1: Get a Job
Now, before you start protesting let me explain. I know you have a job, but what is something that you have always wanted to do if money did not matter? Work at a coffee shop or bookstore? A wine shop maybe? Be clear with the hiring manager that you just want maybe a few days a week and I am sure they will appreciate some extra help. Work like you don’t need the money! This is also great for networking. Here is a fun little article on how to find a summer job.
#2: Further your Education
I am in graduate school but if you are not, consider either starting a Masters program or taking a few classes at the local college. Here in Kennesaw, we have Kennesaw State University and they offer course extension classes on everything from marketing yourself for hire to various computer skills. These courses are about $150 for a 4-8 week course, but there are also free options out there too. If sitting in a class is not for you, consider online webinars. Most are free but there are a few with membership or other fees. One of my favorite sites for education related webinars is Education Week. If you are a journalism teacher like me, check out Poynter’s online courses.
#3: Friends and Family
Make sure that you take time to visit both friends and family near and far. If you have an aunt who lives an hour way and traffic is terrible both ways, go see her on a Monday afternoon where there is no traffic and you can enjoy the scenic route into the middle of nowhere. Showing my appreciate for those who have supported me is a major goal of mine every summer. I love catching up with my girlfriends and going out on weeknights. Stay up later, travel a little farther, and reach out to those people you do not see as often as you want, or should
#4: Hobbies
Hobbies; what is that? If you are like me, to be able to have a hobby is like being able to find an extra hour in your day, but it is SO important to have hobbies. Choose something stress relieving, which is different for everyone. For example, I relax by doing. I stress myself out if I sit and try to relax….not workin’. So, I bake, scrapbook, or paint. These are my top three favorite hobbies. In the summers, I can spend a few hours searching interesting recipes and then spend the day in the kitchen experimenting. This may sound like a terrible day to you, but to me it is so relaxing. AND I have all of these new recipes on hand when the school year starts back and things get crazy.
#5: YOU time
I know hobbies can fall into this category, but what I mean is conscious you time…..whatever that means to you. Spend time reflecting on the things you wish you could change or tweak about yourself and make a conscious effort to do or change those things. For example, I have control issues. I let stupid things suck the life out of me and so I am TRYING to be conscious about when those thoughts and feelings come into my head and identify them. Then, my goal is to have a list and start letting myself lose control from these things. Resisting everyday is so hard, so just let yourself LET GO of some things that you cannot control anyway. I preach to the choir on this one for the record….
Even if you do none of these I hope you find time to enjoy some well deserved time off in the best possible way. I hope to blog a lot this summer and I already have some great new recipes to share for next time. If you have any suggestions for things to do over the summer, share in the comments below!!
Cheers to summer!
a.
