My Summer Break So Far

By a High School Teacher

Ah yes, summer...that magical season when high school teachers allegedly transform into different beings known as “people with free time.” I hear it constantly: “Must be nice to get three months off.” And hey, you’re not totally wrong. Except… it’s not three months. For me, it’s more like eight weeks, which is technically two months, Now, I get it! From the outside, it looks like a sweet deal. But I invite you to do one simple thing: Spend one day, just one, in each type of school. Start at an elementary school (with complete chaos), then try surviving middle school (where emotions run high), and finish with high school (where sarcasm is the native language and apathy runs rampant). I guarantee you’ll no longer question the need for a mental break. 😀

Here’s a rundown of my totally productive summer plans:

1. Keep Myself Super Busy  with Projects

Because rest is overrated and I thrive under self-imposed pressure and stress. I’ve decided to fill my entire summer with projects I absolutely don't need to start. Repainting furniture, organizing the garage, alphabetizing the spice rack, and rebuilding the back patio. You name it, I’ve convinced myself it’s urgent and has to be done THIS summer. Am I relaxing? No. Am I pretending to be productive in ways that impress no one except my dog and myself...that's a hard yes!

2. Plan Next Year’s Curriculum in June

I probably said at the end of May that I’d be spending my precious free time color-coding standards and aligning assessments, but I never truly believed it would happen. EVER. More realistically, I’ll start “thinking about thinking about it” around July-ish, scrolling TikTok and pretending I’m going to rework the entire semester into project-based learning. (Spoiler Alert: I won't.)

3. Organize My Classroom… From Home

You know what really gets me going in the summer? Sorting through 255 Expo markers, half of which are dead inside much like my soul back in May. I’ll definitely be in my classroom this summer reorganizing all the cabinets no one sees. I definitely will be recreating a potential seating chart for the 1,000th time because there HAS to be a better way to place 34 students in one room.

4. Wear “Real Clothes” Every Day

What’s summer without looking your best? I’ll be strutting around my living room in a cute put-together outfit, with ALL the accessories, just to keep my routine alive. Except no. I’m living in elastic jogging shorts/pants (without the actual jogging part), oversized T-shirts, and a ponytail that asks, "How long can one go without washing hair?"

5. Catch Up With Teacher Friends

"Sure, let's totally meet for coffee or lunch!" And by that, I mean we’ll text “Let’s plan something", or send funny teacher memes until the end of July then we’re back in school for pre-planning. We will see each other the first day back and agree we ran out of time AGAIN to get together!

6. Fully Recharge & Return Refreshed

After two months of pretending I’m a functioning human, I’ll return fully recharged, positive, and overflowing with Pinterest-worthy ideas. HAHAHA. I’ll come back sunburned, overcaffeinated, and emotionally unprepared but wearing a new/fresh lanyard, which totally counts as personal growth. I may even throw together an outfit that has been in the back of the closet if I feel like living on the edge.

Bonus Round: Things I’m ACTUALLY Doing

• Watching true crime documentaries under a heating pad (from overdoing it pulling weeds for the first time since last spring/summer).

• Avoiding people on days when I "just want to chill".

• Telling myself “I’ll start tomorrow” for everything

• Getting irrationally angry at back-to-school commercials in June or seeing the Back to School section at the local stores. WHYYYYYYYYY?!!

• Chatting with AI about my goals and receiving advice on projects or developing images of what our backyard would look like with a pool

  
  

Final Thoughts

So yes, I’m having a relaxing summer. One that is overly packed with one project at a time. Just don’t ask me to do anything until July 24. And even then, approach slowly and bring snacks.

To my fellow educators: may your naps be rare, your to-do lists be longer than ever, and your “break” be as productive as it is unnecessary.

💓Happy Summer from the literal trenches of my backyard patio project I regret starting.