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X. HENLEY'S PENNIES

Writer's pictureX. Henley

How to Survive Until Summer Vacation

Well fellow educators, many of us are on spring break, or if you work in my district, will be in a couple of weeks. The year has been filled with its ups and downs. You’ve had moments, where you’ve experienced the joy that only comes when a student has an “aha” moment, and moments when you had to cry in your car. At this point, you’re a bit tired. Okay, A LOT tired! Luckily, the end of the school year is near!


I empathize with all of my fellow educators, so I thought that it would be beneficial to list a few things that can help you survive the rest of the school year!


#1. Teach something FUN!!! This is not to say that your curriculum is not fun-filled throughout the year, but I always save the units that I love the most for the end of the school year. I find that it gives me something to look forward to. I’m a huge horror fan, so I use the end of the year as a time to focus on gothic elements in literature. My students usually love it, and it’s fun for me!


#2. Plan fun activities with your students! The fact of the matter is, YOU are not the only person with a summer countdown calendar. Part of what makes us feel so tired is motivating our students when we know they are disengaged. They are staring out of the classroom windows wanting to be outside, enjoying the day. Make their time with you fun! Take them outside in the fresh air for lessons or take them to the gym and engage those tactile learners!


#3. Plan fun activities with your staff! Everyone is feeling a bit tired. Doing something as simple as bringing in treats and leaving them in the teacher’s lounge can brighten plenty of people’s days. Host a potluck during school or after school—there’s nothing like a few home cooked treats to make your day. Better yet, plan a few staff outings. All of these activities will help you reconnect and decompress.


#4. Chunk your time! Most of us have about ten weeks left of school. Review your calendar to see what your final milestones are and use those to chunk your time. Two-week intervals do not feel as long as two-month intervals.


#5. Make summer plans! Instead of counting the days until summer vacation begins, make some plans. Plan a staycation, a few weekday adventures, buy some concert tickets, check out the summer festival schedule…. There is so much to do in the summer. Focusing on how you will spend your summer will give you something to look forward to when those last few days of the year seem to last 14 hours and not 7!


I hope you found these tips helpful and wish you all the best of luck surviving the rest of the school year!


If you would like to check out the video for this blog, you can CLICK HERE.


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