What Teachers Really Do Over the Summer - Inspired Together Teachers

We know what teachers really do over the summer.

Recently, we’ve seen Facebook posts from teachers that proclaim to the world, “Yay! Schools out! Three months of doing nothing!” These words are followed by a picture of a lounge chair and a Margarita. If not those exact words, the same sentiment is there in other posts. Now we can sit around and relax.

We don’t believe it.

We certainly don’t begrudge anyone some afternoons with a lounge chair and a Margarita. We hope to indulge in some pool side relaxation ourselves, though we are both partial to Mojitos rather than Margaritas. 😊

Yes, summer often does feel like freedom and we’ve earned some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Yes, we don’t have the exact same work hours. We get to spend more time with our family and even have time for coffee with a friend.

While the world is bemoaning that teachers have several months off, we would like to remind you and everyone else what teachers REALLY do over the summer!

Teach summer school

For the vast majority of our teaching lives, both of us have taught summer school. If not teaching summer school, teachers are often working in day cares, summer camps and community recreation programs. Somebody needs to be responsible for all those students when school is out for the summer and that somebody is often a teacher.

Attend summer school

If you aren’t teaching summer school, there is a good chance you are attending school. Teachers need to keep up their licenses and are required to take classes or attend other professional development opportunities. Many teachers work on advanced certifications or Masters Degrees. Unlike in the business world where corporations pay for training, teachers usually pay for this advanced training themselves. Much of this training happens in the summer.

Work a part-time job

It is no secret that teaching doesn’t make you rich. Many teachers work summer jobs in order to pay bills or save money for their graduate programs. Busy restaurants, bars and other tourist and hospitality industries depend on teachers to staff their shifts.

Read

We hope teachers are reading big fat beach novels and thrillers. We also know that they are reading things to improve their teaching and get new ideas. They are reading children’s and young adult novels so that they can recommend books to their students or find the next great read aloud. They are also reading manuals for new curriculum or the books they will teach in a new grade level or different school.

Move classrooms

Speaking of moving schools or grade levels, we recently polled our TYT Facebook community. We were amazed at how many teachers are moving, whether voluntarily or due to school changes. This requires boxing up everything, hauling it home or to a storage facility and then moving it to the new location. Then it is all unboxed and set up once again. Having done this several times, we know that it is work. Unpaid work.

Shop for their classroom

Summer is garage sale season and teachers are out in full force, looking for books, games and flexible seating options. Target has figured out that teachers spend a lot of their own money on their classrooms and they have responded with the Dollar Spot, an addictive little corner of the store that draws teachers in like magnets.

Spend quality time with their family and friends

Though we don’t like to admit it, family time often suffers during the school year. Teachers work at home on nights and weekends. They coach or work in after school programs. They lead school clubs and activities. Summer offers more flexibility and a little more breathing room. We have more capacity to spend time with the people we care for.

What about you? Do you engage with these summer activities? What would you tell the world about what teachers really do over the summer?

Our best,