This Summer’s Top 10
June 25, 2023
June 25, 2023
Summer is typically a time for teachers to slow down, take a deep breath, and do some much-needed self-care, but also to refocus as they prepare for a new group of students in August or September. Here are 10 suggestions for spending some of that summer time, courtesy of ThoughtCo.com, an education reference site, and Melissa Kelly, author of The Everything New Teacher Book: A Survival Guide for the First Year and Beyond:
A teacher must be “on” every day of the school year. In fact, as a teacher you often find it necessary to be “on” even outside of the school setting. It is essential to take the summer vacation and do something away from school.
Expand your horizons. Take up a hobby or enroll in a course away from your teaching subject matter. You will be surprised how this can enhance your teaching in the coming year. Your new interest may be the thing that connects with one of your new students.
Get a massage. Go to the beach. Go on a cruise. Do something to pamper and take care of yourself. Taking care of body, mind, and soul is so important to having a fulfilling life and will help you recharge and restart for next year.
Think back over the previous year and identify your successes and your challenges. While you should spend some time thinking about both, concentrate on the successes. You will have greater success improving upon what you do well than focusing on what you did poorly.
Read the news (and keep up with the information being put out by your union) and know what’s happening in education. Today’s legislative acts could mean a big change in tomorrow’s classroom environment. If you are so inclined, get involved.
You can always learn more about the topic you teach. Check out the latest publications. You might find the seed for an excellent new lesson.
Pick 3-5 lessons that you feel need improvement. Maybe they just need enhanced external materials or maybe they just need to be scrapped and rewritten. Spend a week rewriting and rethinking these lesson plans.
Do you have an effective tardy policy? What about your late work policy? Look at these and other classroom procedures to see where you can increase your effectiveness and decrease time off task.
Spend some quality time with a child, your own or someone else’s. Read about famous educators and inspirational leaders. Remember why you got into this profession to begin with.
It’s better to give than to receive. As the school year approaches, teachers need to know how much they are appreciated. Think of a fellow teacher who inspires you and let them know how important they are to students and to you.
The average pay of Virginia public school teachers in 2023-24 was $65,830. That is $4,260 below the national average of $70,090.
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