The six-week summer break is something that teachers in the profession really look forward to, but seldom have a plan for. Below we’ve discussed five great ideas that will encourage teachers to relax but also develop their career over the summer break.
Reflect on the past year
Now that the academic year is behind you, you should be able to reflect on its outcome; what went right, and what didn’t. From here you can proactively plan ways of changing your methods of teaching in order to change any negatives from the past year into positives for the next!
'De-teacher'
Over this six-week period, consider removing yourself from the teacher mentality by concentrating on other things. Spend time luxuriating in those hobbies that you never had time for, spend time visiting family & friends, and get stuck into that TV series that you have been meaning to watch. Basically, anything that will take your mind off the classroom, so that you can 'de-teacher' for a while!
Experience something different
Experiencing something new; be it a cuisine, a culture, or an evening class, can be the secret to true relaxation. Spend your summer doing something really different by visiting another country or setting yourself a new challenge over this period. When you return to work after the summer break, you will find your horizons broadened and soul refreshed.
Refresh your classroom
The latter weeks of your summer break will give you plenty of time to give your classroom a well-needed spruce up, ready in time for the new academic year. Think of how you can make positive changes to your layout and displays to boost the atmosphere of your classroom.
Gentle prep for next year
If you want to get ahead for the next year, but want to be fresh going into it, then consider a gentle approach when it comes to prepping your lessons this far in advance. At this stage, it would be counter-productive to work tirelessly over lesson plans in the hope of preparing for next year, if you find yourself over-worked before you’ve even taught a lesson!
Afterall, there’s little point in preparing lessons for pupils you may or may not have met yet. So consider allowing yourself some gentle prep time, but don’t go over-board.
