As teachers, we deserve our summer break, but we often don’t know what things for teachers to do in the summer. Read to find out my top 10 things to add to your teacher summer checklist.
1. Re-energize
Let’s start this teacher summer checklist with your personal needs in mind. First, take time to do the activities that help you relax such as riding your bike, swimming, catching up with friends at a happy hour, or anything else you enjoy doing that will help you re-energize.
2. Plan for Next Year
After you’ve gotten your energy back, you can start thinking ahead to some basics for the next school year. The first school-related task I add to my teacher summer checklist is to develop my curriculum map so you don’t have to worry about what to teach day after day. Find the curriculum or resources that you want to use for the first few weeks of school. Need help with mapping out your curriculum? Click here to join my curriculum mapping course.
3. Read
Make a trip to your local library and check out a few books to enjoy during the summer months. These books don’t have to be teaching related, they can be for personal enjoyment as well. Check out my suggested books here:
4. Organize Your Classroom
After the last day of school, take a few more days and organize your classroom to make sure everything is where you’ll be able to easily find it. Place the teaching materials in labeled boxes, and throw away or recycle any extra paperwork. Take down your bulletin boards and save any pieces that you can reuse next year. Organize your closet space and cabinets to be able to find it when you come back. Leave your classroom tidy and if possible, lock your important supplies/resources in a safe place.
5. Participate in Professional Development
Continue to grow as a professional by attending professional developments that you’re interested in either in person or online. Looking to increase your knowledge about teaching math? Click here to get access to last year’s math PD conference. Looking to work on teaching ELA? Click here to gain access to this year’s ELA PD conference.
6. Take Up a New Hobby
Learn how to do something you’ve wanted to do for a while. Learn to play a new instrument, sew an outfit, build something. Think about what you can do for yourself that you will enjoy being able to relax and take your mind off of the stress of work.
7. Reflect on Your School Year
Take some time to reflect on your school year while all is still fresh on your mind. What teaching strategies worked/didn’t work? How can your classroom management system be improved? Which activities were most successful in facilitating your students’ growth? Did parent communication foster positive relationships?
Buy a small notebook, jot down the answers to questions such as these and throughout the summer, brainstorm ways you will try to improve upon these situations. When school is close to starting, review your notes and apply throughout the school year the solutions you’ve brainstormed.
8. Create Personal and Professional Goals
Think about what you want to accomplish both personally and professionally. Do you want to become a principal, literacy coach, or educational consultant in the future? Maybe you want to conduct professional development presentations. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
The objective is for you to figure out what actions you need to start doing today in order for you to achieve your goals. This is one of the most powerful exercises you can do during the summer, so be sure to add it to your teacher summer checklist.
9. Volunteer
Devote time to helping out at a local homeless shelter, the library, nursing homes, or animal shelter. These are things we always want to do, but during the school year have a hard time actually making time for.
10. Do Nothing
The easiest thing for you to add to your teacher summer checklist is nothing! Stay home, binge watch your favorite shows, lounge around, eat whatever you want whenever you want, talk on the phone, or do whatever you want! If you’re okay with not having to be busy all the time, this is a great option for you this summer!
