Summer! It’s finally here! If you’re anything like me, the promise of lazy summer days stays on your mind for the weeks leading up to the last day of school, but once summer hits, you find yourself a little bit bored after a few Netflix binges and days spent poolside. After doing nothing for a few weeks you find yourself stalking the Target aisles for back to school goods, cutting and laminating, and dreaming up new bulletin boards. Before long, you’ve gone from all play to all work- just in time to feel totally unrested come teacher report day. Sound familiar?
This summer I could TOTALLY fall prey to this all-too-real scenario. I’m moving grade levels, moving classrooms, AND my district is adopting a new, comprehensive ELA curriculum. I have a lot to learn and a ton to prep, but I definitely don’t want to spend all my summer days working. I want to show up in August refreshed and ready for my first group of Firsties. That’s why I’ve made a plan- my recipe for a summer of teacher self care- and I thought I’d share it in case you need a little help in this department, too!
My first ingredient for a self care summer? Plan some special things just for you to do. During the school year we teachers focus on everyone BUT ourselves. Summertime is the perfect time to set aside a few days for self care activities that bring you joy. For me, that looks like reading a book in a coffee shop, going out to lunch (such a privilege), carving out time for an afternoon dog walk, or getting a mani/pedi with my mom or a friend. Self care is a total buzzword these days, and for good reason, and it simply boils down to doing things for you that you enjoy. So if taking a few minutes to run in the morning brings you joy, make it a priority. If watching the Bachelorette with your best friend while sipping La Croix is your thing, make sure you don’t miss those two hours of TV. Whatever it is that brings a smile to your face, prioritize it.
I also think planning out special self care moments can mean being intentional about trying the things you wanted to do during the school year that you maybe never got around to. For instance, did you set out to drink the right amount of water each day? Summer is the perfect time to create a habit of hydration. Did you pin a bunch of great recipes that you never got around to cooking? Summer nights are just right for trying a new recipe because you aren’t juggling grading and lesson planning and pure exhaustion. Planning out moments that are special to you can make your summer feel instantly more luxurious and restful. Plus, if you can get into the habit of prioritizing self care moments over summer, imagine how great you’ll feel if you can carry your new self care routine into the new school year!
My second ingredient for a teacher self care summer is to read! Now I know not every teacher loves to read the way we tell our students we do, but I honestly believe that taking some time to skim a magazine, read a blog, or dive into a novel can help give our minds a necessary vacation from the day to day. Besides, what goes better with a lounge chair and a yummy refreshment than your favorite celebrity gossip or the new mystery you’ve been dying to get ahold of? I don’t know about you, but during the school year it seems like the only things I take the time to read are Instagram captions and my lesson plans. Summer gives me the cognitive freedom to escape into a story, so I want to take full advantage!
Summer also gives me the time to read a few professional development books, too. Throughout the year I see books on Instagram, in Facebook groups, and in the hands of my colleagues that I know could impact my teaching. But again, I’m so cognitively exhausted at the end of the school day that the last thing I want to do is come home and read more about teaching. Over the summer as I read novels and magazines and blog posts, I mix in a few professional development books. Every fall, I’m happy I did! This year I’m reading How to Speak so Children Will Listen and The Whole Brain Child. I’m excited, and I’m limiting my work related reading to two books, because again, this summer I’m really trying to create a balance of self care and teacher life. As I read, I’ll be taking notes on this page (available as a FREEBIE for you), and I’ll stash the page in my teacher bag. When I head back to set up my room, I’ll be able to review what stood out to me in these books and use the wisdom to plan accordingly!
My third tip for teacher self care during summer is to avoid the Dollar Spot. Okay okay, so maybe this seems impossible. But hear me out! Every year I see all the cute and sometimes-functional things in the Dollar Spot. I put a few things in my cart, close my eyes and swipe my card at check out, and then stash my new goods in the corner of my living room until I’m ready to set up my room. Sometimes I’ve been known to travel to multiple Targets in my city to acquire a class set of something. I’ve even been known to show up as the poor clerks were unboxing items, and just took a box to the register. I’m shameless. Anyways, this might not seem like a big problem (although maybe slightly obsessive)…except that now everytime I look in my living room and spy my growing pile of cheap and cute finds, I feel a little back to school stress creep into my mind, which is not the goal of a self care balanced summer! My goal this year is to remember that nothing in the Dollar Spot is completely essential to my teaching. If I see something I really want, I’ll purchase it and leave it in my trunk. But I’m promising myself that I will not drive from Target to Target in search of a specific item and add to my stress level, and I definitely won’t let the items I do purchase take up residence in my home.
Maybe you don’t stress out buying things for school, and if that’s the case, get on with your bad self and buy all the fun things! But if you’re like me, maybe avoid the Dollar Spot for awhile, or at least limit your trips there. After all, Target will always be there in those last few weeks of summer, and there is no reason to let the fear of missing out on $3 bins add to your anxiety.
Finally, my final ingredient for teacher self care this summer is to put a limit on the work you do. Every year I find myself cutting and laminating or making powerpoints for lessons. Moving grade levels and learning new curriculum I will definitely be doing those things this summer, too. But I’m making a commitment to myself to take three days a week off from anything teaching related. Why? Because we work extra hours all year, and darn it, we’ve earned a break. Plus, I could easily become consumed with work, and that would not leave me feeling rested and recharged for school in August. My teacher self care summer is all about balancing out work and play. I know doing some work over the summer will make me feel more prepared for the year and free up some of my time come fall, but I know it can also take a ton of my rest time if I’m not careful. Setting a limit for myself feels like a really important commitment to myself and my rest.
Setting a limit can look totally different for everyone- maybe you need two hours a day to work and then take the rest of the day to relax. Maybe you need to work less than my personal limit allows. You know yourself and know what you need to feel successful AND rested. No matter what, I encourage you to think about setting a limit on how much you work this summer so that you can prioritize self care.
A teacher’s self care summer is truly about balance- balancing work and play, making your rest a priority, and taking time to do things that make you the best version of yourself. It means taking steps to lower your stress levels and maximize your well earned time off. I hope my recipe for teacher self care is helpful to you. Make sure to check out my TpT store, OneBlondeTeacher, to grab the freebie mentioned in this post! Thanks for stopping by xx
