Summer is sacred time for teachers. It is pretty much what gets us through the whole year. Count down for summer break literally starts the day we get back from Christmas break. We look forward to summer all. year. long. And then it comes! …and goes. 😭 😭 😭
All too often the summer break seems to slip through our fingers and fly away before we can really enjoy it. On top of already being elusive, summer is also when we go into mega-hypersonic planning mode (and make a ton of materials that we don’t actually end up using during the year… but shhh, we won’t tell our current selves that yet! 🙉 ). We have meetings, organizing goals, and endless to-do lists. How can we enjoy summer with all this pressure (mostly put on by ourselves) and the looming impending doom of the first day of school that keeps getting closer no matter how hard we will it to stop?!
My goal is to inspire you to enjoy this summer and really treat yo self. Cuz you deserve it!
So I give to you:
The Teacher Summer Bucket List
Treat. Yo. Self.
1. Breathe.
This is a luxury you would think any human being is entitled to, but not always busy teachers deep in the midst of parent teacher conferences or when the fire alarm goes off during the middle of testing. How many times during the year did you find yourself taking quick, short, shallow breaths through your chest? This chest breathing puts you into the Sympathetic Nervous System, the “fight or flight” or stressed out mode. Guess what? It’s Summer! I give you permission to relax. Let yourself tap into the Parasympathetic Nervous System, the “rest and digest” or relaxed mode. Practice breathing with your diaphragm instead of your chest. You know you’re doing it right if when you take a deep breath in, your stomach expands, and as you exhale it sinks back in. This type of deep breathing brings instant relaxation, and is a great habit to be in when the school year starts again to cut down on your stress.
This is a luxury you would think any human being is entitled to, but not always busy teachers deep in the midst of parent teacher conferences or when the fire alarm goes off during the middle of testing. How many times during the year did you find yourself taking quick, short, shallow breaths through your chest? This chest breathing puts you into the Sympathetic Nervous System, the “fight or flight” or stressed out mode. Guess what? It’s Summer! I give you permission to relax. Let yourself tap into the Parasympathetic Nervous System, the “rest and digest” or relaxed mode. Practice breathing with your diaphragm instead of your chest. You know you’re doing it right if when you take a deep breath in, your stomach expands, and as you exhale it sinks back in. This type of deep breathing brings instant relaxation, and is a great habit to be in when the school year starts again to cut down on your stress.
2. Say “I love myself” in the mirror EVERY morning.
This may feel a little awkward at first, but it is a MUST! Something changes in your brain when you see yourself and physically say the words out loud, and you rewire your brain to literally love yourself more. After a year of observations, being ranked on a 5 point scale, and comparing test scores our self-esteem could definitely use a little TLC.
This may feel a little awkward at first, but it is a MUST! Something changes in your brain when you see yourself and physically say the words out loud, and you rewire your brain to literally love yourself more. After a year of observations, being ranked on a 5 point scale, and comparing test scores our self-esteem could definitely use a little TLC.
3. Let go.
We are used to our minds going a million miles a minute to solve the million different challenges that pop up everyday. Even at home we let those challenges sit in the back of our brain, our subconscious picking away at them. It is so easy to let this habit carry into the summer and always be planning for next year. You can’t truly relax if you are stressed out in the back of your mind. Give yourself permission to let go. Trust yourself to pull it off when the time comes. You will be more capable in the moment of need if you give yourself a break.
We are used to our minds going a million miles a minute to solve the million different challenges that pop up everyday. Even at home we let those challenges sit in the back of our brain, our subconscious picking away at them. It is so easy to let this habit carry into the summer and always be planning for next year. You can’t truly relax if you are stressed out in the back of your mind. Give yourself permission to let go. Trust yourself to pull it off when the time comes. You will be more capable in the moment of need if you give yourself a break.
4. Go out to lunch with a friend. Or just out to lunch in general. On a weekday!!
How many times do you hear of people going out to eat on their lunch break and get jealous? They just so casually mention they tried that new restaurant on their lunch break, or their boss took them out to eat on their lunch break, or even they went to run some errands or go to an appointment on their lunch break. And here you are, with a thirty minute lunch break that INCLUDES ending your lesson on time, lining your kiddos up with their lunches, walking them to the cafeteria, making sure they get their food, running to the work room to make some copies for the afternoon, and then pulling out your computer to work on lesson plans for five minutes while you scarf down a frozen burrito before you run to the playground to pick your kids up… late, again.
How many times do you hear of people going out to eat on their lunch break and get jealous? They just so casually mention they tried that new restaurant on their lunch break, or their boss took them out to eat on their lunch break, or even they went to run some errands or go to an appointment on their lunch break. And here you are, with a thirty minute lunch break that INCLUDES ending your lesson on time, lining your kiddos up with their lunches, walking them to the cafeteria, making sure they get their food, running to the work room to make some copies for the afternoon, and then pulling out your computer to work on lesson plans for five minutes while you scarf down a frozen burrito before you run to the playground to pick your kids up… late, again.
5. Read a book that you WANT to read.
We always talk about instilling in our students a love of reading. You know where that stems from? OUR love of reading! In fact, that’s one of the many reasons we became teachers. We want to teach children how to read and love reading. Our addiction to collecting books is real, and you know we all hide those scholastic book order receipts from our spouses! So let’s face it, we love to read. Do we ever have time to read? Nope! So let’s take care of that right now. Set aside those picture books and professional development textbooks and grab a book to read for FUN. Light, carefree, ADULT reading.
We always talk about instilling in our students a love of reading. You know where that stems from? OUR love of reading! In fact, that’s one of the many reasons we became teachers. We want to teach children how to read and love reading. Our addiction to collecting books is real, and you know we all hide those scholastic book order receipts from our spouses! So let’s face it, we love to read. Do we ever have time to read? Nope! So let’s take care of that right now. Set aside those picture books and professional development textbooks and grab a book to read for FUN. Light, carefree, ADULT reading.
6. Take a sick day!
Don’t get me started. Teaching is one of the only jobs where it is more work to take a sick day than to muscle up and endure through the day sick. It’s summer, you deserve as many sick days as you need! If you don’t feel well, tell people no. Stay in. Stay in your pajamas. Ignore your responsibilities for a day (unless you have little humans depending on you for survival. I guess you can take care of them. But I’m talking the bare minimum here–just feed and water them–cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 🙌 ).
Don’t get me started. Teaching is one of the only jobs where it is more work to take a sick day than to muscle up and endure through the day sick. It’s summer, you deserve as many sick days as you need! If you don’t feel well, tell people no. Stay in. Stay in your pajamas. Ignore your responsibilities for a day (unless you have little humans depending on you for survival. I guess you can take care of them. But I’m talking the bare minimum here–just feed and water them–cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 🙌 ).
7. Spend time outside where you are not in charge of keeping 30 children from climbing up a slide.
Nature and the outdoors have a calming affect. A study showed groups of people pictures of nature, and pictures of cities, sky scrapers, and cars. When people looked at nature, their heart rates slowed and breathing was relaxed. When they looked at all the man made hustle-bustle, their heart rates shot up and they breathed with that stressed out chest breathing we talked about earlier. Treat yourself to some relaxed outdoor time. Quiet outdoor time if possible. Or at least outdoor time without a whistle in your mouth, bell in your hand, tying 15 shoes, and breaking up a fight over who gets the soccer ball today.
Nature and the outdoors have a calming affect. A study showed groups of people pictures of nature, and pictures of cities, sky scrapers, and cars. When people looked at nature, their heart rates slowed and breathing was relaxed. When they looked at all the man made hustle-bustle, their heart rates shot up and they breathed with that stressed out chest breathing we talked about earlier. Treat yourself to some relaxed outdoor time. Quiet outdoor time if possible. Or at least outdoor time without a whistle in your mouth, bell in your hand, tying 15 shoes, and breaking up a fight over who gets the soccer ball today.
8. Wear jeans erryday.
Jeans are comfortable. Jeans are wonderful. Jeans are your friend. And Monday needs a little denim for goodness sake! Be reckless. Wear those jeans on a Monday. 😏
Jeans are comfortable. Jeans are wonderful. Jeans are your friend. And Monday needs a little denim for goodness sake! Be reckless. Wear those jeans on a Monday. 😏
9. Buy a pretty smelling candle.
Because for 9 months you have been smelling nothing but B.O., cafeteria food, and those farts that you have to pretend not to notice so you don’t encourage any giggling. Give your poor nose a break.
Because for 9 months you have been smelling nothing but B.O., cafeteria food, and those farts that you have to pretend not to notice so you don’t encourage any giggling. Give your poor nose a break.
10. Enjoy some silence.
It’s 3:19. Children are all gathered by the door, loud and jittery from a day full of school and anxious to go home and play. It’s 3:20. The glorious bell rings, your door opens and the children walk out the door along with the noise. It’s 3:30. Your classroom is empty. You are alone. And you just sit. In sweet, sweet silence. Sound familiar? That beautiful sound can now be your life for 2 whole months. Are you salivating just thinking of it? If you have little ones, you can pop in a movie without feeling a bit guilty or worrying about your principle walking in. Now the key is, don’t let your busy mind drown out the sound of silence. Whenever you get the opportunity to experience silence, SAVOR IT. Really notice it, smell it, taste it, soak it all in. Because you will need that memory when school starts back up again. 😉
It’s 3:19. Children are all gathered by the door, loud and jittery from a day full of school and anxious to go home and play. It’s 3:20. The glorious bell rings, your door opens and the children walk out the door along with the noise. It’s 3:30. Your classroom is empty. You are alone. And you just sit. In sweet, sweet silence. Sound familiar? That beautiful sound can now be your life for 2 whole months. Are you salivating just thinking of it? If you have little ones, you can pop in a movie without feeling a bit guilty or worrying about your principle walking in. Now the key is, don’t let your busy mind drown out the sound of silence. Whenever you get the opportunity to experience silence, SAVOR IT. Really notice it, smell it, taste it, soak it all in. Because you will need that memory when school starts back up again. 😉
11. DON’T plan for a single day.
I know this is hard, and you might have some flair pen withdrawals, but try to put that planner away and enjoy a day with NO PLANS! It is productive and efficient to plan, but it is good for the soul to wing it every once in a while. And during the summer, you can afford to wing it. Just let your whims lead you through the day! 🐬
I know this is hard, and you might have some flair pen withdrawals, but try to put that planner away and enjoy a day with NO PLANS! It is productive and efficient to plan, but it is good for the soul to wing it every once in a while. And during the summer, you can afford to wing it. Just let your whims lead you through the day! 🐬
12. Savor the moment.
So often we drive somewhere in the car, only to get to our destination and realize we have no memory of the drive at all. We were busy thinking and planning and stressing about what we have to do when we get to wherever we’re going. We completely miss the beautiful sights as we drive. Don’t let summer slip through your fingers without enjoying it. One tangible way to do this is to meditate. Yep, I said meditate! It sounds weirder than it actually is. All you have to do is lay or sit down in a quiet place, close your eyes, and do that deep belly breathing. Concentrate on your breath coming in and out, your stomach moving up and down. Choose a word or phrase to focus on and repeat that with each inhale. It could be “peace”, “relax”, or maybe “sanity” or “I am human again.” Whatever floats your boat. ⛵ 💁 When you have sufficiently savored the moment and enjoyed being alive, you can take one last big breath and carry on with your day.
So often we drive somewhere in the car, only to get to our destination and realize we have no memory of the drive at all. We were busy thinking and planning and stressing about what we have to do when we get to wherever we’re going. We completely miss the beautiful sights as we drive. Don’t let summer slip through your fingers without enjoying it. One tangible way to do this is to meditate. Yep, I said meditate! It sounds weirder than it actually is. All you have to do is lay or sit down in a quiet place, close your eyes, and do that deep belly breathing. Concentrate on your breath coming in and out, your stomach moving up and down. Choose a word or phrase to focus on and repeat that with each inhale. It could be “peace”, “relax”, or maybe “sanity” or “I am human again.” Whatever floats your boat. ⛵ 💁 When you have sufficiently savored the moment and enjoyed being alive, you can take one last big breath and carry on with your day.
13. Give family or loved ones time every day (make them your full time job, give your job your leftover energy at the end of the day).
Throughout the school year, do you feel like your job is actually your life, and time with family and the ones you love is just an extra add on at the end of the day if you’re lucky? Do you feel like your loved ones only get the leftover, picked over, parts of you after your job has taken over most over your energy? During the summer, you can reverse that. Make the ones you love your highest priority and give them your best self. Then if you have a little extra leftover at the end of the day, you can spend some of that time doing school and planning things.
Throughout the school year, do you feel like your job is actually your life, and time with family and the ones you love is just an extra add on at the end of the day if you’re lucky? Do you feel like your loved ones only get the leftover, picked over, parts of you after your job has taken over most over your energy? During the summer, you can reverse that. Make the ones you love your highest priority and give them your best self. Then if you have a little extra leftover at the end of the day, you can spend some of that time doing school and planning things.
13. Enjoy cooking a meal.
During the school year it’s frozen pizza and takeout all the way. As yummy as those are, sometimes you just can’t beat a home-cooked meal. I personally enjoy cooking, but not enough to do it after a long day of work. Treat yourself to some fun, relaxed kitchen time with no time constraints or rush. Poor yourself a glass of chocolate milk, turn on some music, and cook yourself that delicious meal you pinned on Pinterest during PLC a few months ago.
During the school year it’s frozen pizza and takeout all the way. As yummy as those are, sometimes you just can’t beat a home-cooked meal. I personally enjoy cooking, but not enough to do it after a long day of work. Treat yourself to some fun, relaxed kitchen time with no time constraints or rush. Poor yourself a glass of chocolate milk, turn on some music, and cook yourself that delicious meal you pinned on Pinterest during PLC a few months ago.
14. Have a tropical drink.
Summer is tropical, exotic, an escape from reality. But vacations to Hawaii are unfortunately not always in mind when deciding teacher salaries (although they absolutely should be). So if you can’t go on vacation, bring the vacation to you! Make yourself a fruity umbrella drink, pull up a lawn chair, and relax in your backyard as you watch your kids play in the sprinklers.
Summer is tropical, exotic, an escape from reality. But vacations to Hawaii are unfortunately not always in mind when deciding teacher salaries (although they absolutely should be). So if you can’t go on vacation, bring the vacation to you! Make yourself a fruity umbrella drink, pull up a lawn chair, and relax in your backyard as you watch your kids play in the sprinklers.
15. Paint your toenails.
Everyone needs a good pampering after a hard year. Yes boys, I’m talking to you too! Pedicures are a little taste of heaven. And everyone needs them. 💅 🌟
Everyone needs a good pampering after a hard year. Yes boys, I’m talking to you too! Pedicures are a little taste of heaven. And everyone needs them. 💅 🌟
16. Watch a movie outside.
Beautiful weather and alarm clock not set means playing outside all night! When was the last time you watched a movie outside? As a kid maybe? Lay out a blanket, bring your computer and a bunch of pillows outside, and enjoy your movie under the stars.
Beautiful weather and alarm clock not set means playing outside all night! When was the last time you watched a movie outside? As a kid maybe? Lay out a blanket, bring your computer and a bunch of pillows outside, and enjoy your movie under the stars.
17. Choose a show to binge.
Speaking of screen time, who doesn’t love a good netflix binge? Better yet, who doesn’t love a good guilt-free netflix binge? During the year you feeling like there’s a million things you should be doing, but during the summer, cut yourself a break and indulge!
Speaking of screen time, who doesn’t love a good netflix binge? Better yet, who doesn’t love a good guilt-free netflix binge? During the year you feeling like there’s a million things you should be doing, but during the summer, cut yourself a break and indulge!
18. Look at the stars.
Perspective. It’s so easy to get caught up in the minutia and little stressors of each day, but taking the time to step back and look at the bigger picture can really change your perspective. Gazing at the stars late at night (because we don’t have to get up at 5:30am the next morning! 🙌 ) reminds you just how big the universe is and how small of a problem a “3” on a principal observation actually is. Life is sometimes less than ideal, and 💩 happens. But the stars keep shining. The world keeps turning. Life keeps existing, and that is beautiful. A starry night would not be as beautiful if it was just a solid sheet of white up there. You need the contrast of a dark sky to really appreciate the beauty. Sometimes our skies are lit up with more stars and sometimes our skies are mostly dark, but that just makes the one star that does shine through all the more brilliant. ✨
Perspective. It’s so easy to get caught up in the minutia and little stressors of each day, but taking the time to step back and look at the bigger picture can really change your perspective. Gazing at the stars late at night (because we don’t have to get up at 5:30am the next morning! 🙌 ) reminds you just how big the universe is and how small of a problem a “3” on a principal observation actually is. Life is sometimes less than ideal, and 💩 happens. But the stars keep shining. The world keeps turning. Life keeps existing, and that is beautiful. A starry night would not be as beautiful if it was just a solid sheet of white up there. You need the contrast of a dark sky to really appreciate the beauty. Sometimes our skies are lit up with more stars and sometimes our skies are mostly dark, but that just makes the one star that does shine through all the more brilliant. ✨
19. Soak up some sun.
Because how many mornings in January and February, when we are standing outside in miserable whether watching our kids jump off the monkey bars face first into the snow, do we wish we were laying on a tropical beach with an umbrella drink and a good book, soaking up the sun? Enjoy it while you can. Store some UV rays up for when you’ll really need them.
Because how many mornings in January and February, when we are standing outside in miserable whether watching our kids jump off the monkey bars face first into the snow, do we wish we were laying on a tropical beach with an umbrella drink and a good book, soaking up the sun? Enjoy it while you can. Store some UV rays up for when you’ll really need them.
20. Think happy thoughts: gratitude for last year and optimism for next year.
It’s easy at the end of a school year to be filled with negative thoughts. You feel burnt out and are tired. Despite a year full of wonderful moments you just had, you may only remember the stress of testing, cleaning, and restless kids that you so recently went through. Or, despite having two whole months of summer ahead to enjoy, all you can think about is that ever impending first day of school or ever growing list of things you should do to get ready for next year. As humans, negative thoughts and experiences tend to demand more attention in our mind than positive ones. I guess our crazy minds are just glutton for punishment. 💁 But the way way we think = the way we feel! If our summer is spent dwelling on the hard parts of last year, we will have a hard summer. If we spend our sacred summer break stressing about what next year will be like, we will be stressed out all summer. Instead let’s replace those anxious and negative thoughts with more healthy and happy ones. Dwell on the things you were grateful for last year. No matter how hard the year is, we can always find something to be grateful for. Be grateful for the precious student note you got telling you how loved you are. Be grateful for your best teacher friend that you shared laughs and good times with. Be grateful for that parent that donated a Costco-sized bag of Gummy Bears when you only asked for one package… and then had enough left over to bribe motivate students for the rest of the year. Envision next year with optimism. What you envision now will become your reality later.*One more quick note about regret from last year and fear for next year. My friends, the past does not exist. The future does not exist. There is only NOW. Let go of regret and fear. They do not change or improve anything, they only bring you stress. Live in what DOES exist and what you CAN control. Live in the NOW.
It’s easy at the end of a school year to be filled with negative thoughts. You feel burnt out and are tired. Despite a year full of wonderful moments you just had, you may only remember the stress of testing, cleaning, and restless kids that you so recently went through. Or, despite having two whole months of summer ahead to enjoy, all you can think about is that ever impending first day of school or ever growing list of things you should do to get ready for next year. As humans, negative thoughts and experiences tend to demand more attention in our mind than positive ones. I guess our crazy minds are just glutton for punishment. 💁 But the way way we think = the way we feel! If our summer is spent dwelling on the hard parts of last year, we will have a hard summer. If we spend our sacred summer break stressing about what next year will be like, we will be stressed out all summer. Instead let’s replace those anxious and negative thoughts with more healthy and happy ones. Dwell on the things you were grateful for last year. No matter how hard the year is, we can always find something to be grateful for. Be grateful for the precious student note you got telling you how loved you are. Be grateful for your best teacher friend that you shared laughs and good times with. Be grateful for that parent that donated a Costco-sized bag of Gummy Bears when you only asked for one package… and then had enough left over to bribe motivate students for the rest of the year. Envision next year with optimism. What you envision now will become your reality later.*One more quick note about regret from last year and fear for next year. My friends, the past does not exist. The future does not exist. There is only NOW. Let go of regret and fear. They do not change or improve anything, they only bring you stress. Live in what DOES exist and what you CAN control. Live in the NOW.
You have worked your butt off all year. You have sacrificed yourself time and time again for your students and your school. You put your work first and yourself last. But now it is time for you. Time to treat yo self. You deserve it!
Happy summer!
