College & Workforce Readiness

From the Web: We Know What You Did This Summer

August 12, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Vacations are a thing of the past for many teachers, what with financial pressures, summer school, and increased professional development options and course-preparation needs. Visitors to www.teachermagazine.org shared their own thoughts about the summer recess.

Break? There’s a break?

I have spent the summer working in three different learning communities related to my school’s [improvement plan] and attending an AP chemistry workshop. I’m also now recovering from lung surgery to remove some nodules that were found in April, but I couldn’t take off from school [then] for the surgery due to state mandated tests having to be administered by a certified teacher.

Watching the hummingbirds, taking walks, and reconnecting with the earth are my aims. I am careful to guard against “activities” that would intrude upon the necessary pursuits of relaxation and daydreaming.

I have been teaching high school mathematics for 18 years, and I have yet to have a summer free of education-related work.

I do not think there is a one-size-fits-all Rx for how teachers should spend their summers. ... Reality is reality—we can’t all take trips, spend entire days in our pj’s, or participate in quality training. But in my opinion, no matter what the situation, all teachers should do whatever they can to reconnect with themselves and their families/friends during the summer, to feel like a real human being who has a life outside of the school and the classroom.

See more responses or post your own at www.teachermagazine.org/tm/tb.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness Spotlight Spotlight on CTE and Beyond: Expanding Opportunities for Students
This Spotlight will help you explore innovative approaches to CTE, real-world learning experiences, and more.
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A College Board's CEO on How AP Courses Are Changing for the AI Era
College Board CEO David Coleman on AP’s shift toward career readiness, AI’s impact, and new courses in cybersecurity and business.
7 min read
College Board President David Coleman attends an announcement event on March 5, 2014, in Austin, where College Board officials announced updates for the SAT college entrance exam.
College Board President David Coleman spoke with Education Week last month about the organization's move to design AP courses with input from the business community.
Eric Gay/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Not Your Parents' CTE: How Career and Technical Education Is Evolving
School districts are redefining CTE to expose students to a broad range of potential careers.
5 min read
Hard hat on a stack of books, next to a wrench and screwdriver.
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness These AP Classes Were Designed to Attract Students of Color. Did They?
New data show two new Advanced Placement courses helped boost participation among Black and Latino students.
3 min read
Data shown on a computer screen.
iStock/Getty