So I want to know if I am the only one who experiences what I like to call, "teacher guilt". Let me explain...first of all, I work my tail off from August through May. Second of all, at some point over the summer, I am usually participating in some sort of professional development. This year I co-facilitated our district's Comprehensive Literacy Model conference for grades 2/3, which included months of planning during our lunch breaks, a week of planning when school go out, and a week of faciliation at the actual conference.
Then I'm planning to go supply shopping (Our school buys ALL of the school supplies the children will need for the year. Parents give a donation and students just bring gym shoes and a backpack.) I do kind of love going school supply shopping except when I get the stink eye at Wally World for lugging two huge carts busting at the seams with folders, notebooks, glue, pencils, crayons, markers, erasers, pencil boxes, etc. I see it as a challenge to get as much stuff as I can for the $200 limit. Yeah, $200 for all the supplies needed for 30 kids (we have a lot of move ins/move outs). But if you are smart with your limit, and the supplies you are purchasing it's doable. Anyway, supply shopping starts August 1 for me. Then after that I spend most of August setting up my room, organizing, lesson planning, copying, making templates, putting together binders, folders, labeling EVERYTHING, etc.
So. Here's my issue. I get about 6 weeks off this summer and I feel SO guilty when I'm not working on school stuff. For one thing, I want to get better at my craft of teaching so I have motivation to research and read prof. dev. books, but I know the school year is always so stressful and anxiety filled that I need to use this time to relax. I put in a lot of time during the school year, and even in June with conferences, am on my 3rd professional development text and am in the first day of August, but I am having trouble giving myself permission to have a "lazy day" where I just lay on the couch and read and watch movies all day. Maybe I have difficulty with this because for instance, today Tom's working all day from 6:00am-5:30pm and I feel guilty about that. I know I shouldn't but I do. He doesn't give me a hard time and he even encourages me to just relax because he knows how stressed out I get during the school year.
How can I relax without the guilt?? Fellow teachers how do you do it?? Or should I feel guilty and be working on school stuff all summer?? HELP!
Do NOT feel guilty! Summer is necessary to recharge and be ready for the new year. You need to take days to lie on the couch and do absolutely nothing. It's healthy to take a break from work :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam!! I am officially recharging starting now :)
DeleteI feel no guilt. I am enjoying my 5 weeks off.
ReplyDeleteAwesome Abby :) OK. It's decided. I am commited to being guilt-free for the rest of the summer.
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