Erasing the Myth of "Not Working"

As I continue to make my way through the summer, I've noticed there is a phrase I'm hearing frequently: "How's your summer going?" Of course the natural, instinctive answer is to say "great, or it's going well, thank you." When the follow-up question is, "what are you up to?" I picture the main character in a movie or tv show freeze and look out at the audience while raising one eyebrow... as a teacher I'm always up to something! 

The truth for us as educators is that we are always working for our students, families, classrooms, careers, etc., even if it doesn't feel like work. At times, we might even feel guilty we are enjoying what we are doing, because it doesn't fall under a traditional work label. Are we working when we are relaxing at the beach with a book in our hands? Absolutely! We often have self-doubt that what we do isn't considered work because we are not in the classroom, working with a student directly, or responding to an urgent email. 

One of the best opportunities summer offers is time for us to explore on our own, and choose what we learn about. I personally have taken a deep dive into reading all about Writing Workshop, knowing we will be implementing this model, and I have the privilege of writing the curriculum this summer. So while I have designated jobs, I also continue to build my knowledge and skills through self-selected learning. What I've been enjoying most is writing the basics for a new article to (hopefully) get published, brainstorming ideas for my blog, listening to podcasts, preparing presentations, and talking with other professionals to generate ideas for the future. 

It's imperative that we feel validated as teachers and as professionals. This summer, I encourage teachers at all levels to take that next step and think, how can you take your work to the next level? What is your main goal for your career overall, and for the upcoming school year? Secondly, what can you do now to help you take one step closer to that goal? The time is now, summer, to make choices for you; because if we don't make those choices for ourselves, we won't grow and be the best we can be for our students in September. 

Final Thoughts: Keep reading- and yes that is work! Keep an open mind to topics and interests in education you'd like to explore. Keep your mind active to prepare for September, however, remember to take breaks. Keep advocating for yourself as a learner, so you can continue to be a great educator!