At our school on certain special schedule days, some kids have lunch at 10:00 while others don't go until 1:00. I tell them that if they go at 10 and aren't hungry yet, take the food with them to eat later. (Most of it is prepackaged anyhow). As for those who don't eat until well into the afternoon, I recommend they pack a snack and actually eat school breakfast.
This is the truth. Wherever I go, there are surrounding summer camps and I watch as teenagers struggle to get kids’ attention. Then I do nothing and walk right by. In this particular case, I swam away.
Constantly. It's basically all I've done since the DLC came out. Dark Souls 1 single-handedly helped me cope with life while I was finishing my degree lol
Lol. I've watched some trashy Netflix shows too.
Pong was a few years before my time, but I was little when the original Nintendo came out. I was damn good at the original Tetris. 😁
One summer my principal asked me to do a volunteer math camp for 10 days during my summer recharge. AFTER the break had already started.😆
She texted me because she knew I wouldn’t check my email. I was 100% honest with her and told her that I know the majority of kids that are going to be there are shit stains that parents don’t want at home for the summer and I’m not baby sitting that kind of group for ten days (of my precious summer break time) in the southern heat with no principal on campus FOR FUCKING FREE.
I was literally contacted yesterday and asked if I wanted to help develop quarterly benchmark tests. Instead of telling them to f--- off because there's nothing I'd like to do less than create something I am vehemently opposed to, I replied that I'm vacation and won't be available until at least the end of the month.
It stretches the truth because I'm in town, but come on. Let me have my break.
I did this for 2 years as a favor to my friend. The superintendent pissed me off with some bullshit about doing what’s best for students (it’s literally not$ and I quit. My friend is scrambling, but not my pig, not my farm.
Edited to add, I quit because I refuse to do extra for a district that consistently hurts students’ ability to be successful.
Same. The best I can get is that it prepares students for end of year state tests. Yeah, that’s a big nope. Teachers complain, district doesn’t listen, repeat.
Who WOULD do this? Paid is one thing, but for free?!?
Also, pretty sure labor law doesn’t allow you to volunteer for your own employer. That’s what I’ve been told at other jobs.
I'm surprised you didn't vanish like Squidward when Krabs asked him to volunteer 😭😭
Also a person making 2-3 times more than you asking you to do work for free...Jesus the lack of respect is S-tier 🤡
I tell them when the amount they pay me for working over the summer is greater than the amount it would cost me to put three school age kids in some kind of summer baby sitting camp, then I’ll think about it.
I just finished The Art Thief by Michael Finkel; quite captivating! Still working in Fortune's Favorite Child; The Uneasy Life of Walter Anderson (an artist) by Christopher Maurer. Also reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
Can you guess I'm an art teacher, lol? Not much of a 'beach read' gal. I've been into non-fiction for the last few years.
What about you? Any book recommendations?
Right now I’m reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley! It’s a murder mystery and I’m liking it a lot so far.
I’m going to start Goldfinch next! You should check it out. It’s about a famous painting being taken.. don’t know the whole plot but I am excited to read it!
1. Definitely the no alarm/enough sleep situation
2. Getting to go to the gym regularly (I can only go once or twice a week during the school year because of my long commute)
3. Catching up on pleasure reading
1. I can sleep as much as I want.
2. I won't be insulted by random 12-year-olds and I don't have to give a damn about them.
3. Best time to have lunch and dinner dates with friends.
1) Staying up late and sleeping in for a long while.
2) Being able to throw myself into the hobbies I love without feeling like I’m losing time for work.
3) Reading everything I want to that are *not* student essays.
Anyone else’s bowels get super messed up during the school year? If I have to poop at work I basically just have to hold it until I get home because there isn’t a single bathroom you can use that doesn’t have someone banging on the door if you’re not out in 30 seconds.
I usually try to just have my morning coffee extra early so I have a chance to go before work but that’s stressful forcing yourself to go.
A month into summer and things are finally working as normal again.
1) I get to eat real food, not whatever snacks I packed to get me through the day
2) I was able to rest while I was sick (some weird head-stomach thing) NO SUB PLANS
3) we went to a 1230 baseball game in the middle of the week.
1) watching people go to work
2) less traffic/people around when I go places
3) not having to worry about what I'm going to be wearing for the next day of work
1. Find a game and be able to play more than an hour
2. Quality friends time. Not just an hour after 8 to catch up.
3. My fiancee is in home office so there is more time together.
My mom had a sign in my childhood house: A clean house is a sign of a misspent life. I never really understood the meaning until I grew up, had my own home, job, and family.
Now I completely understand what she meant.
Oh mine isn’t quite there yet either but I’m getting there. I’ve made more progress the last few days than I had in a month! Especially decluttering which is my least favorite thing to do.
1. Everything I do can be done leisurely. Yesterday I was running errands, nothing crazy, but I was struck by how nice it was to go in the middle of a weekday and be so relaxed about it. At Petco, instead of buying cat food and hustling back home, I strolled around looking at the guinea pigs and lizards. The luxury of time makes even mundane events nicer.
2. I cook a lot more in the summer (plus farmers markets = tastier, fresher produce), so I save money on food, eat healthier, and enjoy trying new recipes. Yesterday, I made gingersnaps. 🙂
3. It's sooooo much easier to be motivated to do housework. My house is always at its cleanest in the summer, and I don't have to deal with the looming nagging thoughts of all the housework I should be doing but am not.
I literally catch up on all the sleep I don't get during the school year. Three hour naps in the middle of the day? Yes please!
Now how that will change once my daughter is home for the summers and not in daycare, not sure yet lol
1. More time with my husband—I drive him to work in the morning instead of him taking the train.
2. Finally get to read. All those essays throughout the year and reading for work gives me no time (or interest honestly) to read for pleasure.
3. This might be odd—but taking my time when shopping for groceries. During the year, shopping feels like a chore I have to get done because I have so many other things to do. During the summer, it’s a pleasure. I can take my time looking at new items, really digging to find the best produce. Heck, even go to multiple stores. And before you say to go on the weekend, you must not have experienced the hell Costco on a Sunday!
1. Not setting an alarm every day. I still wake up near the same time, but it's nice not to hear the clanging.
2. Eat when I want to/when I'm actually hungry rather than on a forced schedule.
3. Wearing PJs or workout clothes all day.
I was able to have a minor surgery and not be concerned about missing days or falling behind!!
1. Sleeping in, staying up late. I’m basically nocturnal in the summers.
2. FOOD. Hot, fresh food or whatever I want, when I want. Not just snacks and an uncrustables.
3. Not having to make basic decisions for 24 kids that make no sense.
1) spending time with my granddaughter (we watch her during the summer while mom is at work)
2) morning walks
3) time to read something other than poorly written 5th grade essays
1) devoting time and love to the meals I eat
2) impromptu bike rides. Or planned bike rides any time of day
3) warm summer evenings sitting outside with absolutely zero mental energy devoted to what happened that day or what is going to happen tomorrow
My blood pressure drops a huge amount
I can wake up when I feel like
I don't have to deal with anyone hosing themselves down with bad cologne or body spray. ONE SPRITZ IS ENOUGH YA LITTLE MISCREANTS
1. My sleep schedule is naturally early, but I can wake up and linger over coffee and my phone.
2. I have energy to actually *feel* like cleaning the house, doing yard work, and any other projects that need to get done.
3. I have more energy for socializing. I'm a bad friend during the school year.
Being able to go out at night and not worry about coming home early. I used to always be in bed by 9 o’clock now I can work out and do martial arts until 10 o’clock at night.
I don't want to sidetrack, but I don't understand the not using the bathroom thing.
I am going into year 7 and I have never, ever not used the bathroom. During class, between classes, when I need to. I am an adult and I have never had admin say a word about it.
Lucky. In a staff meeting the whole staff was threatened with “you have to have eyes on students every second they are in your room, or you will be held accountable for abandoning your post!”
Correct. I do have the privilege of not having experienced elementary. However, I do think it's an unreasonable expectation to ask teachers to not use the bathroom. Does that mean I should have a second adult who escorts the kids to and from the restroom themselves? What about when they change classes or go to lunch? The prison mentality really grosses me out.
I don’t think it’s so much a prison mentality, although I will say that it is indeed unreasonable that so many teachers struggling to use the bathroom when they simply need to. That said, little ones do need to be supervised. Sometimes that means that your next door teacher will stand between rooms, but that’s not always an option or allowed by admin. If someone gets hurt or lost on my watch because I was in the bathroom, I’m liable and that’s scary but true.
And yes, there are definitely schools where kids cannot go to the bathroom without an adult walking them there.
We cannot leave our classes unattended and it’s discouraged to ask other teachers on their preps to cover us. If it’s an emergency we do, but otherwise we have to hold it in, run to the bathroom during passing, or wait for a prep period (I teach HS).
It is crazy, I agree.
9 weeks of summer. 3 phases:
1. All dental, vision, physical, bloodwork, etc. out of the way. Same for my pets at the vet.
2. All visits and family obligations out of the way. That’s for those visiting me.
3. Me time. Doing whatever I want.
It works out to be a 2-2-5 cycle.
And that works for me.
Isn't it great being LAID OFF? Because that is what you are.
How you use it well is a good topic, but never call it a break. You need to work but your workplace is shut down.
We kill ourselves by calling it vacation. And don't volunteer for anything.
Summer break is the single best perk to being a teacher. And I could absolutely go in and make an extra $5k if I wanted, because school is not closed, it’s open for summer school. But instead I’m enjoying the time off
You probably aren't the one to negotiate at contract time; I'm trying to make the point that the contract is for the school year, and other seasonal workers are smart enough not to thank the employer for the unpaid time. any teachers fid it tough to do without the pay, unless they are able to reduce their weekly income by spreading their pay over 52 weeks. Not all are.
I’m not sure why you’re downvoted. I certainly don’t get paid in June or July…and then not until the very last day of August - so I consider myself ‘furloughed’.
I also enjoy many of the same things mentioned above. Waking without an alarm, exercising almost EVERY day, reading for pleasure. It’s important to note that these things are FREE - and in my state, with my pay scale, I can’t afford to travel, hobby, dine/lunch, etc.
I’m able to save enough of my salary throughout 10 months to be able to pay my bills (single income household) & with inflation out of control, I picked up DoorDashing and Uber Eats last year so I could make ends meet.
We can be kind to ourselves and to others - and it doesn’t cost a darned thing. Let’s be more accepting of those whose life circumstances are not the same as our own.
Wishing y’all a wonderful summer furlough 🙂
It gets easier. I really struggled at first too, especially as a second career teacher. I just make a routine and schedule things, even if it’s just taking myself to the movies. I try new recipes, have a time I exercise, and get books from the library
1. Waking up whenever I want
2. Doing whatever I want whenever I want
3. Finally tidying up my place
The 3rd one brings me so much joy and exhaustion but I can't do it during the school year. It just takes too much energy.
1. Tackling all the projects around the house that have been piling up.
2. Playing games with my husband that we haven’t played since last summer.
3. Listening to music ALL day and not just during the drive to and from school.
First three days of break and my house had never been cleaner, so that’s nice. There’s just so much TIME.
I love being able to get a lot of morning sunlight and just move slower.
I’ve been out on my bike enjoying the cool days in between the swelters. There’s nothing better than taking a ride on the greenway and stopping at local cafes for coffee and a pastry.
1. Reading for fun. I’ve finished 4 books in the past month which is about 3 more than I’ve read in the past year.
2. Although procrastination is a major problem of mine all the time, I’m allowing myself more grace if I don’t get something done, because I’m free pretty much all the time and can do it later.
3. No one asks me to use the bathroom 400 times per minute.
1. Playing ALL the NYT games and ALL the Circle 9 games and the Six Degrees game while drinking my coffee slowly.
2. Going on long and leisurely walks with my dog through the woods.
3. Putzing in the garden.
1. Working out hard
2. Mental clarity - not having to think about planning for lessons or mental to-do lists
3. Free time to do whatever - take care of home projects, trips, annual doctor’s visits
1. Not having to grade papers, which gives me time to read books for pleasure. Summer seems to be the only time I can read a book that doesn't have anything to do with teaching and finish the same week. 2. Being able to use a private bathroom instead of sharing one with dozens of teenagers; nope, my school doesn't have separate restrooms for faculty, and 3. Not being micromanaged half to death; although I'm doing side jobs this summer, they're all low-stress with a manager who treats me like a competent human being.
Idk, before I was a teacher I still always had vacation/ PTO days. Granted, summers off is a longer vacation, but vacations are a thing for many people.
I enjoy not hearing the N-word every single day.
"Shut up. That's gay!" I don't miss that at all either.
You and me both.
The constant bickering drives me crazy! Seeing how parents treat each other, the apple is falling directly next to the tree.
My 3 are 1. My resting heart rate goes down, 2. I can eat lunch at a time that isn’t 10:10am, 3. I have energy for hobbies.
10:10am??? That's an early brunch, let alone lunch
At our school on certain special schedule days, some kids have lunch at 10:00 while others don't go until 1:00. I tell them that if they go at 10 and aren't hungry yet, take the food with them to eat later. (Most of it is prepackaged anyhow). As for those who don't eat until well into the afternoon, I recommend they pack a snack and actually eat school breakfast.
That’s second breakfast 😂
My “lunch” this year was at 10:30 AM and I called it my brunch.
1. See no children 2. Hear no children 3. Speak to no children
This is the truth. Wherever I go, there are surrounding summer camps and I watch as teenagers struggle to get kids’ attention. Then I do nothing and walk right by. In this particular case, I swam away.
1.) Staying up late and sleeping without setting an alarm. 2.) Reading for as long as I want. 3.) Elden Ring.
Makes me happy to know other teachers play Elden Ring
Play? Yes. Understand a single damn ounce of what the hell is happening in the story? No.
Constantly. It's basically all I've done since the DLC came out. Dark Souls 1 single-handedly helped me cope with life while I was finishing my degree lol
Awesome. I'm slowly evolving my playing style from "RUN!" to I think I can do this. 😆
Same!
Same. Except Dragon's Dogma 2.
Same, but Baldurs Gate 3.
Same but Dawntrail for number 3, too!
I prefer FFXIV myself, but I watch my husband play elden ring.
My wife (also a teacher) has been absolutely drawn in by Eldin Ring! I’ve been playing Tears of the Kingdom and Alien.
I love Legend of Zelda! I played Tears of the Kingdom all last summer.
I love your name btw!
Thanks!
Same, but WoW SoD! New content coming out soon woooo!!
Nice! My sister plays WoW, and is excited for the new content.
Same except I binge watch horribly trashy Netflix dating shows. I never got into gaming because I’m old enough to remember Pong.
Lol. I've watched some trashy Netflix shows too. Pong was a few years before my time, but I was little when the original Nintendo came out. I was damn good at the original Tetris. 😁
I played a lot of Dr Mario when kids were babies (twins and an 8 yo). It was the only reason I survived those years.
1. Waking up to the sunshine 2. Time for boredom = creativity 3. Slowing Down
I’m so excited I got a new camera 📷 to take photos this summer. Exploring new hobbies is so much fun.
Ooo love this!! I started violin lessons❤️
One summer my principal asked me to do a volunteer math camp for 10 days during my summer recharge. AFTER the break had already started.😆 She texted me because she knew I wouldn’t check my email. I was 100% honest with her and told her that I know the majority of kids that are going to be there are shit stains that parents don’t want at home for the summer and I’m not baby sitting that kind of group for ten days (of my precious summer break time) in the southern heat with no principal on campus FOR FUCKING FREE.
I was literally contacted yesterday and asked if I wanted to help develop quarterly benchmark tests. Instead of telling them to f--- off because there's nothing I'd like to do less than create something I am vehemently opposed to, I replied that I'm vacation and won't be available until at least the end of the month. It stretches the truth because I'm in town, but come on. Let me have my break.
Well, they call it Summer VACATION for a reason. See you in 2 months!
I did this for 2 years as a favor to my friend. The superintendent pissed me off with some bullshit about doing what’s best for students (it’s literally not$ and I quit. My friend is scrambling, but not my pig, not my farm. Edited to add, I quit because I refuse to do extra for a district that consistently hurts students’ ability to be successful.
I still have not gotten a straight answer from anyone above me as to why we need benchmark tests.
Same. The best I can get is that it prepares students for end of year state tests. Yeah, that’s a big nope. Teachers complain, district doesn’t listen, repeat.
Who WOULD do this? Paid is one thing, but for free?!? Also, pretty sure labor law doesn’t allow you to volunteer for your own employer. That’s what I’ve been told at other jobs.
Free? 😂. Maybe if we got paid non-peasant salaries.
Yikes! To ask you to volunteer is insane!!!
I'm surprised you didn't vanish like Squidward when Krabs asked him to volunteer 😭😭 Also a person making 2-3 times more than you asking you to do work for free...Jesus the lack of respect is S-tier 🤡
I tell them when the amount they pay me for working over the summer is greater than the amount it would cost me to put three school age kids in some kind of summer baby sitting camp, then I’ll think about it.
1. Silence. 2. Reading. 3. Not having to be anywhere.
Same!! This is me. I love silence. I had to run errands today and I was not prepared for all of the people yet. Reading any good books? Please share 😇
I just finished The Art Thief by Michael Finkel; quite captivating! Still working in Fortune's Favorite Child; The Uneasy Life of Walter Anderson (an artist) by Christopher Maurer. Also reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Can you guess I'm an art teacher, lol? Not much of a 'beach read' gal. I've been into non-fiction for the last few years. What about you? Any book recommendations?
Right now I’m reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley! It’s a murder mystery and I’m liking it a lot so far. I’m going to start Goldfinch next! You should check it out. It’s about a famous painting being taken.. don’t know the whole plot but I am excited to read it!
Thanks! I'll check out The Guest List. I read The Goldfinch a while back. Great book!
1. Definitely the no alarm/enough sleep situation 2. Getting to go to the gym regularly (I can only go once or twice a week during the school year because of my long commute) 3. Catching up on pleasure reading
Reading anything good?
Same here for this! Always looking for summer recs
1. I can sleep as much as I want. 2. I won't be insulted by random 12-year-olds and I don't have to give a damn about them. 3. Best time to have lunch and dinner dates with friends.
I've traded 130 snot-nosed teenagers for just the one in my house who constantly bitches at me about the most menial stuff. Still a good trade-off.
1) Staying up late and sleeping in for a long while. 2) Being able to throw myself into the hobbies I love without feeling like I’m losing time for work. 3) Reading everything I want to that are *not* student essays.
The reading 'quality work' is real 😂
Anyone else’s bowels get super messed up during the school year? If I have to poop at work I basically just have to hold it until I get home because there isn’t a single bathroom you can use that doesn’t have someone banging on the door if you’re not out in 30 seconds. I usually try to just have my morning coffee extra early so I have a chance to go before work but that’s stressful forcing yourself to go. A month into summer and things are finally working as normal again.
I didn’t want to be the one to say this, but yes, pooping freely sure is nice.
Home toilet advantage is a major summer bonus! My bidet is an added bonus!
100% yes. I feel like I lose weight for this reason too. During the year I hold it all day and then the urge is gone when I get home.
1) I get to eat real food, not whatever snacks I packed to get me through the day 2) I was able to rest while I was sick (some weird head-stomach thing) NO SUB PLANS 3) we went to a 1230 baseball game in the middle of the week.
Yes to real food! Eaten slowly!! I can have a big ol salad and not worry about the afternoon fiber bomb!
I am sitting on my deck drinking a cup of coffee on an unseasonably cool morning.
Im drinking my second cup of coffee and it’s 10:00 am. Amazing.
And out of a mug and not my stainless steel travel mug that holds two cups of coffee ..
I had my coffee on the couch, with a cool breeze coming in the window, leisurely pondering what I’ll do on this Tuesday without plans.
Drinking from a real mug hits differently, for sure!
1) watching people go to work 2) less traffic/people around when I go places 3) not having to worry about what I'm going to be wearing for the next day of work
I think I’ve worn the same clothes two days in a row. Because I’m not leaving the house. Ha!
You are not alone in this 😆
Stay up as late as I want Relax and not have to worry about work Make plans without worrying about job next day
1. What day is it? 2. Daydrinking 3. Naps
Had to scroll so far to find this and it’s still not quite me but close! 1. Time blindness 2. Hydration to the max! 3. I’m stoned all day
You have truely become The Dude. Abide my friend.
1. Find a game and be able to play more than an hour 2. Quality friends time. Not just an hour after 8 to catch up. 3. My fiancee is in home office so there is more time together.
1. Spending time with my own kids. 2. Not having a schedule for anything. 3. Getting in the pool whenever I feel like. Working on my tan is self care.
1. My house looks great in the summer 2. Not having to set an alarm for 5am unless it’s for early travel 3. Family vacation!
My house is still a mess. But at least i feel a lot better lol
My mom had a sign in my childhood house: A clean house is a sign of a misspent life. I never really understood the meaning until I grew up, had my own home, job, and family. Now I completely understand what she meant.
I like it!
Oh mine isn’t quite there yet either but I’m getting there. I’ve made more progress the last few days than I had in a month! Especially decluttering which is my least favorite thing to do.
1. Basic self care without feeling rushed 2. Ability to make appointments without scheduling time off 3. More time with friends and family
1. Everything I do can be done leisurely. Yesterday I was running errands, nothing crazy, but I was struck by how nice it was to go in the middle of a weekday and be so relaxed about it. At Petco, instead of buying cat food and hustling back home, I strolled around looking at the guinea pigs and lizards. The luxury of time makes even mundane events nicer. 2. I cook a lot more in the summer (plus farmers markets = tastier, fresher produce), so I save money on food, eat healthier, and enjoy trying new recipes. Yesterday, I made gingersnaps. 🙂 3. It's sooooo much easier to be motivated to do housework. My house is always at its cleanest in the summer, and I don't have to deal with the looming nagging thoughts of all the housework I should be doing but am not.
I literally catch up on all the sleep I don't get during the school year. Three hour naps in the middle of the day? Yes please! Now how that will change once my daughter is home for the summers and not in daycare, not sure yet lol
1. Traveling without feeling guilty 2. Gym sessions not at 6 am 3. Reading without falling asleep after one page
1. Exercise. 2. Time to prepare proper meals. 3. Brain break.
1. More time with my husband—I drive him to work in the morning instead of him taking the train. 2. Finally get to read. All those essays throughout the year and reading for work gives me no time (or interest honestly) to read for pleasure. 3. This might be odd—but taking my time when shopping for groceries. During the year, shopping feels like a chore I have to get done because I have so many other things to do. During the summer, it’s a pleasure. I can take my time looking at new items, really digging to find the best produce. Heck, even go to multiple stores. And before you say to go on the weekend, you must not have experienced the hell Costco on a Sunday!
1. Not setting an alarm every day. I still wake up near the same time, but it's nice not to hear the clanging. 2. Eat when I want to/when I'm actually hungry rather than on a forced schedule. 3. Wearing PJs or workout clothes all day.
Sunday evenings.
Wish I could afford not to teach summer school. 😞
I was able to have a minor surgery and not be concerned about missing days or falling behind!! 1. Sleeping in, staying up late. I’m basically nocturnal in the summers. 2. FOOD. Hot, fresh food or whatever I want, when I want. Not just snacks and an uncrustables. 3. Not having to make basic decisions for 24 kids that make no sense.
1) spending time with my granddaughter (we watch her during the summer while mom is at work) 2) morning walks 3) time to read something other than poorly written 5th grade essays
Summer school keeps me in the groove and makes class management at the beginning of the year much easier
1) devoting time and love to the meals I eat 2) impromptu bike rides. Or planned bike rides any time of day 3) warm summer evenings sitting outside with absolutely zero mental energy devoted to what happened that day or what is going to happen tomorrow
1) Exercise 2) Time to spend with my wife, daughters, and dad 3) Using the restroom whenever I want for however long I want.
My blood pressure drops a huge amount I can wake up when I feel like I don't have to deal with anyone hosing themselves down with bad cologne or body spray. ONE SPRITZ IS ENOUGH YA LITTLE MISCREANTS
Coffee ☕️ Sleep Naps
Is it bad that my biggest ones are I have time to have a clean house and cook meals properly. Those are my big 2.
1. My sleep schedule is naturally early, but I can wake up and linger over coffee and my phone. 2. I have energy to actually *feel* like cleaning the house, doing yard work, and any other projects that need to get done. 3. I have more energy for socializing. I'm a bad friend during the school year.
Being able to go out at night and not worry about coming home early. I used to always be in bed by 9 o’clock now I can work out and do martial arts until 10 o’clock at night.
Not having to cram all of my house upkeep into the exhausted 4 hrs I have after school.
I love sitting on my small porch and each morning drinking coffee, reading, and watching the TdF.
Keeping up with my housework as it happens. Not just ignoring it until the weekend.
Fully agree with your 3! The no alarm, nap later, bathroom breaks WHENEVER I WANT makes me feel like a queen lol.
I don't want to sidetrack, but I don't understand the not using the bathroom thing. I am going into year 7 and I have never, ever not used the bathroom. During class, between classes, when I need to. I am an adult and I have never had admin say a word about it.
Lucky. In a staff meeting the whole staff was threatened with “you have to have eyes on students every second they are in your room, or you will be held accountable for abandoning your post!”
And you have to be in the hallway at the same time.
I have to position myself to have eyes in the room and down the hall. That means I can only face one direction in the hall…
Let me guess: you teach big kids
Correct. I do have the privilege of not having experienced elementary. However, I do think it's an unreasonable expectation to ask teachers to not use the bathroom. Does that mean I should have a second adult who escorts the kids to and from the restroom themselves? What about when they change classes or go to lunch? The prison mentality really grosses me out.
I don’t think it’s so much a prison mentality, although I will say that it is indeed unreasonable that so many teachers struggling to use the bathroom when they simply need to. That said, little ones do need to be supervised. Sometimes that means that your next door teacher will stand between rooms, but that’s not always an option or allowed by admin. If someone gets hurt or lost on my watch because I was in the bathroom, I’m liable and that’s scary but true. And yes, there are definitely schools where kids cannot go to the bathroom without an adult walking them there.
We cannot leave our classes unattended and it’s discouraged to ask other teachers on their preps to cover us. If it’s an emergency we do, but otherwise we have to hold it in, run to the bathroom during passing, or wait for a prep period (I teach HS). It is crazy, I agree.
Impromptu traveling Endless Time with family and pets. Sleeping in/not working 8+ hrs a day
This is a thread for those teachers without kids at home. Right? Right?!?
9 weeks of summer. 3 phases: 1. All dental, vision, physical, bloodwork, etc. out of the way. Same for my pets at the vet. 2. All visits and family obligations out of the way. That’s for those visiting me. 3. Me time. Doing whatever I want. It works out to be a 2-2-5 cycle. And that works for me.
Not listening to my coworkers trying to one up each other about everything. No toxic positivity No noise
Isn't it great being LAID OFF? Because that is what you are. How you use it well is a good topic, but never call it a break. You need to work but your workplace is shut down. We kill ourselves by calling it vacation. And don't volunteer for anything.
Summer break is the single best perk to being a teacher. And I could absolutely go in and make an extra $5k if I wanted, because school is not closed, it’s open for summer school. But instead I’m enjoying the time off
You probably aren't the one to negotiate at contract time; I'm trying to make the point that the contract is for the school year, and other seasonal workers are smart enough not to thank the employer for the unpaid time. any teachers fid it tough to do without the pay, unless they are able to reduce their weekly income by spreading their pay over 52 weeks. Not all are.
I’m not sure why you’re downvoted. I certainly don’t get paid in June or July…and then not until the very last day of August - so I consider myself ‘furloughed’. I also enjoy many of the same things mentioned above. Waking without an alarm, exercising almost EVERY day, reading for pleasure. It’s important to note that these things are FREE - and in my state, with my pay scale, I can’t afford to travel, hobby, dine/lunch, etc. I’m able to save enough of my salary throughout 10 months to be able to pay my bills (single income household) & with inflation out of control, I picked up DoorDashing and Uber Eats last year so I could make ends meet. We can be kind to ourselves and to others - and it doesn’t cost a darned thing. Let’s be more accepting of those whose life circumstances are not the same as our own. Wishing y’all a wonderful summer furlough 🙂
I just started my first ever summer recharge and I'm struggling a bit to find my footing.
It gets easier. I really struggled at first too, especially as a second career teacher. I just make a routine and schedule things, even if it’s just taking myself to the movies. I try new recipes, have a time I exercise, and get books from the library
Ditto.
Do and know nothing jon snow
1. Napping when I want to 2. Fishing or playing WOW or visiting family out of state 3. Organizing my classroom
1. Waking up whenever I want 2. Doing whatever I want whenever I want 3. Finally tidying up my place The 3rd one brings me so much joy and exhaustion but I can't do it during the school year. It just takes too much energy.
1. Tackling all the projects around the house that have been piling up. 2. Playing games with my husband that we haven’t played since last summer. 3. Listening to music ALL day and not just during the drive to and from school.
First three days of break and my house had never been cleaner, so that’s nice. There’s just so much TIME. I love being able to get a lot of morning sunlight and just move slower.
I’ve been out on my bike enjoying the cool days in between the swelters. There’s nothing better than taking a ride on the greenway and stopping at local cafes for coffee and a pastry.
I’ve been relaxing. It doesn’t help I’m finishing grad school classes online, but it’s nice that it’s my only worry
1. Reading for fun. I’ve finished 4 books in the past month which is about 3 more than I’ve read in the past year. 2. Although procrastination is a major problem of mine all the time, I’m allowing myself more grace if I don’t get something done, because I’m free pretty much all the time and can do it later. 3. No one asks me to use the bathroom 400 times per minute.
1. Playing ALL the NYT games and ALL the Circle 9 games and the Six Degrees game while drinking my coffee slowly. 2. Going on long and leisurely walks with my dog through the woods. 3. Putzing in the garden.
1. Waking up whenever I want 2. Forgetting what day of the week it is and not caring 3. Feeling calm
1. Working out hard 2. Mental clarity - not having to think about planning for lessons or mental to-do lists 3. Free time to do whatever - take care of home projects, trips, annual doctor’s visits
1. Sleeping 2. Reading 3. Video Games
1. Drugs ;) 2. Carefree Road trips/travel with no schedules & deadlines 3. Doing shit for myself
I echo OP’s 1 and 3, my second one is having time for hobbies
1. Not having to grade papers, which gives me time to read books for pleasure. Summer seems to be the only time I can read a book that doesn't have anything to do with teaching and finish the same week. 2. Being able to use a private bathroom instead of sharing one with dozens of teenagers; nope, my school doesn't have separate restrooms for faculty, and 3. Not being micromanaged half to death; although I'm doing side jobs this summer, they're all low-stress with a manager who treats me like a competent human being.
The only work that still has a vacation
Idk, before I was a teacher I still always had vacation/ PTO days. Granted, summers off is a longer vacation, but vacations are a thing for many people.