I know people mean well. I know they think I am exhausted from dealing with students, demanding tests, and just the overall misery of being a teacher in America. But they are wrong. I am not exhausted, I have never just "dealt with" students or misery (dreadful tests - yes). So when someone tells me that they survived the school year, I cringe, and when someone asks me how excited I am to have the summer "off" I stop and pause. I am excited to spend more time with my family and do summer things, but excited about having off, no not really.
I don't have the summer off. I never have since deciding to be a teacher. When I was going to college I would work extra hours and take summer classes. Since getting my teaching job, I have taught summer school, taken classes and just kept my brain engaged. And while many choices are voluntary, I do it with one big picture in mind; a better educational experience for my students. This post is not to whine, I make the choices about my time, but it is meant to make people pause before they state that teachers have 3 months off and have it so easy. So here is what I have been up to:
I don't have the summer off. I never have since deciding to be a teacher. When I was going to college I would work extra hours and take summer classes. Since getting my teaching job, I have taught summer school, taken classes and just kept my brain engaged. And while many choices are voluntary, I do it with one big picture in mind; a better educational experience for my students. This post is not to whine, I make the choices about my time, but it is meant to make people pause before they state that teachers have 3 months off and have it so easy. So here is what I have been up to:
- I blog almost daily to keep myself reflective and engaged.
- I am getting ready to present twice at the Reform Symposium 3. Once on student blogging and once with my great friend Matt on the connection and collaboration between our very different classrooms.
- I have finished editing an upcoming article on the Global Read Aloud for ISTE's magazine "Learning & Leading with Technology" to be published in November.
- I have written a guest post for VolunteerSpot on what we wish we could tell parents but don't.
- I have finished doing a double blind review of a great book to be published by SolutionTree.
- I have engaged in deep conversation about best practices and student blogging on an almost daily basis with individual educators looking to make a change.
- I am preparing a weeklong professional development class I am teaching in my district in August on how to integrate technology into your classroom.
- I have revamped my school's old website and converted it to a blog.
- I have changed my own classroom website from Tumblr to Blogger due to security issues.
- I have worked on revamping the Global Read Aloud website to allow for author collaboration (email me to let me know if you want to be a collaborator).
- I have cleaned my classroom and sorted all of my 4th grade curriculum to pass on to the new 4th grade teacher.
And that is all in the first week of vacation. So while bettering myself is a choice and I may do more than other people I fit it into my daughter's schedule and we make it work. Next week when I leave for Denmark I have 3 books I am bringing with me all education related since I want to revamp my reading program. So the next time someone feels the urge to tell teachers how lucky they are to have 3 months off, think about, maybe ask them instead what they plan on doing this summer. The answer may surprise you.
