5 Ways a Teacher Can Use Their Summer Break

After school ends and students go home on summer vacation, the classrooms and hallways grow quiet with their absence. They’ll spend time with their friends, go to summer camp, and possibly even attend summer school to retain what they learned in the past year. But what do teachers do in the summer?

There’s more than one answer to that question, and all of them are acceptable options depending on what educators believe is most important for them and their families. If you’re a teacher who is looking to maximize your summer, here are five ways that educators can spend their months away from school.

Relax

A teacher’s summer break is a perfect time for them to destress from the previous school year and prepare mentally for the next one. Consider replenishing your energy by taking time to reconnect with friends and family and engaging in your favorite pastimes like reading books or hiking trails. If you want to improve your physical health, start taking yoga classes or exercising more often. While spending time resting may not sound very productive, you’ll be thankful you recharged when the first day of school rolls around.

Prepare

Without having to handle a classroom of students and grading papers after school, it’s much easier for them to focus. This makes a teacher’s summer break an excellent opportunity to review the past year and reflect on what went right and wrong. By identifying your shortcomings, you can grow as an educator and ensure the next semester will be better than ever.

Summer break is also a great time for you to network with other educators and discuss teaching strategies. Further, if you know where you’ll be teaching next semester, consider speaking with the teachers of upcoming students to learn more about what they’ve already learned; you can also do the same for the teachers who will have your previous students.

Brainstorm

With more free time on your hands, summer is the best time for teachers to brainstorm new classroom activities. Researching new lesson plans to incorporate into your curriculum will help rejuvenate your teaching and guarantee upcoming students have an exciting new experience. Also, summer is a great time for teachers to practice these new lessons so they’ll be ready to implement them when they return to school.

Teach

While some teachers may start temporary jobs to earn income over the summer, other educators choose to continue teaching at summer schools. Doing so will help them get more practice while providing students with supplementary education. Teachers don’t have to teach in the same school, either. Teaching summer school in another district can be a refreshing change of pace, especially if they take their education abroad. By teaching students in another country, you can learn techniques overseas that you wouldn’t otherwise have learned back home.

Learn

Many teachers’ summer breaks are spent furthering their careers as educators. Taking online courses to earn their teaching certificates will help grow your career as a teacher. In some cases, signing up for extra hours of professional development can even help improve your salary. When you use the summer months to further your own education, you’ll benefit in more ways than one.

Additionally, your off months as an educator can be devoted to improving what you currently teach. Attending a seminar, listening to a conference, or reading about the latest developments in your field can help enhance and refine the knowledge you already have. While students may not wonder what teachers do in the summer, they’ll actively benefit when they return to the classrooms.

If you’re interested in taking Bucks County online classes that help you adhere to PA state standards, contact The Teacher’s Academy. We offer a wide variety of courses for educators around the country to help them take their teaching careers to the next level. For more information, reach out to us today and browse our selection of online courses.