I know what I do over the summer months when school is out, but what is it you do? How much time do you spend decompressing and how much time do you spend preparing for the next school term?Do you go to workshops or learn online?
I've already started my summer job at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I'll also be meeting with my new colleagues and going to a couple workshops to prepare for my new job next fall. I'll be gathering ideas for next school year and reading some professional literature: books, articles, links from Twitter, blog posts, etc. Oh, and posting to my blog every once in a while.
First I actually clean my house! Then it's all about grant writing. Setting up the lessons requested by teachers I work with. With my husband unemployed I can't afford any college classes, so I will be making use of all the wonderful professional learning resources on the web.
I do try to get in some swimming and biking. I even put my computer away for 7 full days-just to prove I can do it
I shovel chicken manure (and do lots of other things) at a local community garden- http://anathothgarden.org and I read the stack of books I've been collecting by my bed during the school year
Normally I spend the summers driving my kids to swim practice and meets and generally enjoying my boys. This year I am going to have a job (hopefully). It is a strange phenomenon to be competing against my 16 year old son for summer jobs! :)
This will be my fifth summer off as a teacher. Each one has been extremely diverse. I see summer as a time to indulge myself in my passions and hobbies. -the first one, I worked at a summer camp and worked on my masters at night -the second one, I worked as a beach lifeguard and wrote my masters thesis, got married, and moved to California -the third one I traveled to Italy and back east for a while to visit family -the fourth one I went to Kenya to work on a school that I helped to found -this upcoming fifth one I'm taking a cross country road trip with my recently laid-off wife and dog to go to my sister's wedding. (Oh, and I plan on blogging the whole experience!)
Each one extremely diverse, and totally memorable. Who knows what I'll be anticipating a year from now!
For the past six years I was a manager at a kids' summer camp. It's a great job for a teacher because you get a chance to see kids acting as kids. Besides, there's nothing better than getting paid to play kick ball!
I will be teaching 2 weeks of Web 2.00 trainings for teachers at a residential Teacher Academy. I will attending another 2 weeks of professional development training for my own growth. I will be spending 5 days at NECC in Washington DC (which maybe be the most exciting thing about my summer). That leaves me a week at the beach with my kiddos while the hubby has already started football practice and hopefully a week camping with the family around the 4th of July. I'm usually that person who is ready for school to start so things can relax a bit :)
I try to keep the 1st week of a 2 week break for destressing and catching up with appointments or people I don't get to see during termtime. Then the 2nd week i spend quite a bit of time programming for the next term.
The next 2 week break I'll be spending 2 days at the CEGSA (Computers in Education South Australia) conference - where I'll also be presenting with Mr Lamshed :-)
I went to France for two weeks (always a goal), returned to start summer school (8 weeks - only 1 class), will take a cruise for a week to really relax, and then school starts. In between I will be concentrating on learning new things (I have a list and it is being added to all the time), getting and using the latest iPhone (I'll be at AT&T at 4:30 am to make sure I get my iPhone on the very first day for the third year in a row, thinking about the new things I want to in my classes in the fall, writing a bit (probably in my new blog Dr. John Strange's Strange Thoughts (strangethoughtsbyjohn.blogspot.com), participating in #comments4kids, twittering (some), reading, working on my photography projects. I have plenty to do!
This summer will be the first summer we aren't moving!!!! We will, however, be traveling to 4 different destinations....in less than 2 months. I'm excited for this first summer as a mom and many more summers of not working a paid job. I spend the first month decompressing and the second month revving up for school....yes...only 2 months of summer this year =(
Oh my, what a question! I think a journalist should pick up everyone's answers and create a column so that non-teachers have an understanding of how teachers really spend their "time off." This summer I will be spending the first week "off" by transporting my kids to writing camp and then working on our district plan for the LEA planning cycle. The second week off is for getting caught up on doctor visits--and my 13yo getting a full set of braces. Then I begin my first summer job: teaching 6 credits in 3 weeks in the Middle Level Masters program. I have a week after that to catch my breath before summer school starts for the students in my district, where I will be teaching the incoming 4th graders. In between all of that I have two huge boxes of books that I want to read and a houseboat to relax on!
@ Becky I usually start getting itchy to get to work on the next year in mid-July. This year I am already starting to work on next year. I hope that I can get school off my mind a little and relax.
@LeeAnn You are going to need to get back to school just to get a rest! ;)
I start the summer by attending ISTE 2010 in Denver and connecting with tech loving teachers.
This summer I will be taking two Library/Media classes at Portland State to complete my Library/Media Endorsement. I will be reading tons of YA books to prepare for my new position in the Fall.
I will cut my summer short to spend time in my new Library to get familiar with the collection and plan out the curriculum for a new web design class I will be teaching.
And ... in between I will get more exercise and finish the redesign of my backyard.
My summers always include learning of some sort. A week long summer institute or class and ongoing online learning and interactions with my PLN. Then there is down time with my kids. Trips to the coast and a vacation for a week somewhere in the world. By the beginning of August I am getting ready for the school year through planning, reading, discussing and acting on the things I want to accomplish.
I have three workshops that I am taking and one that I'm teaching. I am attending ISTE 2010 in CO for which I am arriving a bit early to attend two pre unconference things. I also have a stack of books to read (some mindless others teaching related). I will of course be following a bunch of blogs and tweets. I have already started thinking about and planning for next year and I have only been out about 6 days. I do however make sure that I leave some down time to help recharge the batteries. A few travel destinations always helps with that area.
Cottage Time. My wife has her own business so it is me, my 3 and 6 year old girls and our lakeside cottage, beach, forests and the wild life. in 1999 I was an assistant bank manager with two weeks off. When I started teaching in 2000, and vowed never to work another summer!
We camp and take canoe trips, museums ...... Ah heaven. I have 21 more days until freedom. June 30 here we come.
(did some of my Masters degree work over two summers)
17 comments:
I've already started my summer job at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I'll also be meeting with my new colleagues and going to a couple workshops to prepare for my new job next fall. I'll be gathering ideas for next school year and reading some professional literature: books, articles, links from Twitter, blog posts, etc. Oh, and posting to my blog every once in a while.
First I actually clean my house! Then it's all about grant writing. Setting up the lessons requested by teachers I work with. With my husband unemployed I can't afford any college classes, so I will be making use of all the wonderful professional learning resources on the web.
I do try to get in some swimming and biking. I even put my computer away for 7 full days-just to prove I can do it
I shovel chicken manure (and do lots of other things) at a local community garden- http://anathothgarden.org and I read the stack of books I've been collecting by my bed during the school year
Normally I spend the summers driving my kids to swim practice and meets and generally enjoying my boys. This year I am going to have a job (hopefully). It is a strange phenomenon to be competing against my 16 year old son for summer jobs! :)
This will be my fifth summer off as a teacher. Each one has been extremely diverse. I see summer as a time to indulge myself in my passions and hobbies.
-the first one, I worked at a summer camp and worked on my masters at night
-the second one, I worked as a beach lifeguard and wrote my masters thesis, got married, and moved to California
-the third one I traveled to Italy and back east for a while to visit family
-the fourth one I went to Kenya to work on a school that I helped to found
-this upcoming fifth one I'm taking a cross country road trip with my recently laid-off wife and dog to go to my sister's wedding. (Oh, and I plan on blogging the whole experience!)
Each one extremely diverse, and totally memorable. Who knows what I'll be anticipating a year from now!
For the past six years I was a manager at a kids' summer camp. It's a great job for a teacher because you get a chance to see kids acting as kids. Besides, there's nothing better than getting paid to play kick ball!
I will be teaching 2 weeks of Web 2.00 trainings for teachers at a residential Teacher Academy. I will attending another 2 weeks of professional development training for my own growth. I will be spending 5 days at NECC in Washington DC (which maybe be the most exciting thing about my summer). That leaves me a week at the beach with my kiddos while the hubby has already started football practice and hopefully a week camping with the family around the 4th of July. I'm usually that person who is ready for school to start so things can relax a bit :)
I try to keep the 1st week of a 2 week break for destressing and catching up with appointments or people I don't get to see during termtime. Then the 2nd week i spend quite a bit of time programming for the next term.
The next 2 week break I'll be spending 2 days at the CEGSA (Computers in Education South Australia) conference - where I'll also be presenting with Mr Lamshed :-)
Worked in a bar for ten years for extra work, now I just unwind. Helps that my partner is also a teacher.
I went to France for two weeks (always a goal), returned to start summer school (8 weeks - only 1 class), will take a cruise for a week to really relax, and then school starts. In between I will be concentrating on learning new things (I have a list and it is being added to all the time), getting and using the latest iPhone (I'll be at AT&T at 4:30 am to make sure I get my iPhone on the very first day for the third year in a row, thinking about the new things I want to in my classes in the fall, writing a bit (probably in my new blog Dr. John Strange's Strange Thoughts (strangethoughtsbyjohn.blogspot.com), participating in #comments4kids, twittering (some), reading, working on my photography projects. I have plenty to do!
This summer will be the first summer we aren't moving!!!! We will, however, be traveling to 4 different destinations....in less than 2 months. I'm excited for this first summer as a mom and many more summers of not working a paid job. I spend the first month decompressing and the second month revving up for school....yes...only 2 months of summer this year =(
Oh my, what a question! I think a journalist should pick up everyone's answers and create a column so that non-teachers have an understanding of how teachers really spend their "time off." This summer I will be spending the first week "off" by transporting my kids to writing camp and then working on our district plan for the LEA planning cycle. The second week off is for getting caught up on doctor visits--and my 13yo getting a full set of braces. Then I begin my first summer job: teaching 6 credits in 3 weeks in the Middle Level Masters program. I have a week after that to catch my breath before summer school starts for the students in my district, where I will be teaching the incoming 4th graders. In between all of that I have two huge boxes of books that I want to read and a houseboat to relax on!
@ Becky I usually start getting itchy to get to work on the next year in mid-July. This year I am already starting to work on next year. I hope that I can get school off my mind a little and relax.
@LeeAnn You are going to need to get back to school just to get a rest! ;)
I start the summer by attending ISTE 2010 in Denver and connecting with tech loving teachers.
This summer I will be taking two Library/Media classes at Portland State to complete my Library/Media Endorsement. I will be reading tons of YA books to prepare for my new position in the Fall.
I will cut my summer short to spend time in my new Library to get familiar with the collection and plan out the curriculum for a new web design class I will be teaching.
And ... in between I will get more exercise and finish the redesign of my backyard.
Phew ... I'm tired already!
My summers always include learning of some sort. A week long summer institute or class and ongoing online learning and interactions with my PLN. Then there is down time with my kids. Trips to the coast and a vacation for a week somewhere in the world. By the beginning of August I am getting ready for the school year through planning, reading, discussing and acting on the things I want to accomplish.
Never a dull moment for sure!
I have three workshops that I am taking and one that I'm teaching. I am attending ISTE 2010 in CO for which I am arriving a bit early to attend two pre unconference things. I also have a stack of books to read (some mindless others teaching related). I will of course be following a bunch of blogs and tweets. I have already started thinking about and planning for next year and I have only been out about 6 days. I do however make sure that I leave some down time to help recharge the batteries. A few travel destinations always helps with that area.
Cottage Time. My wife has her own business so it is me, my 3 and 6 year old girls and our lakeside cottage, beach, forests and the wild life. in 1999 I was an assistant bank manager with two weeks off. When I started teaching in 2000, and vowed never to work another summer!
We camp and take canoe trips, museums ...... Ah heaven. I have 21 more days until freedom. June 30 here we come.
(did some of my Masters degree work over two summers)
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