I had big plans. Productive plans. I mean, it's Summer Break, right? I should be able to read an entire book. Heck, maybe even write an entire book. I'm actually just doing good to keep up with the laundry and dishes.
As a teacher, I must give you some friendly advice. If you ever say to a teacher, "Yeah, but you get summers off," know that in that teacher's mind, they are punching you in the face.
True, we don't go into our classroom with a bunch of kids and hand out lessons for the ever-shrinking number of days that constitute our "break," but we are most definitely working. Lesson plans for next year because standards and expectations change constantly, days upon days of professional development that we aren't paid to attend, and side jobs we do to make ends meet because we can't do them during the school year because we are pulling extra hours on extra-curriculars or long nights grading. And, no, we aren't paid for the months we aren't "working." At least, I'm not and I'm sure it's pretty similar all over the place. See, I'm a 10 month salaried employee. What does that mean? It means I get a salary that is the same regardless of how many nights I spend until 11:00 pm getting sets, props, and costumes ready for the kids to perform the musical (which are sooo many nights). And it means I don't get paid for those 2 months of Summer Break. It means they take my 10 month pay and spread it out over 12 months.
By no means is this supposed to be a sob story for me. No. Not even a little bit. I do what I do for those light bulb moments, and because it's more than getting lessons across. It's building up the next generation. Making those kids better people and citizens of this world because of our time together. Thinkers. Friends. Stewards.
All I want is for you, the next time you see a teacher by the pool on a summer day, to thank them and wish them a relaxing day. It may be the only one they really have all summer. Then, go home, find contact information for a teacher who meant something to you, whether it was grade school, college, Sunday school, and write to them. Tell them what they did for you and that it mattered. Then, wish them a relaxing day, too.
I'm off to the pool now. Nah, just kidding. I've got a literacy summit this weekend to get ready for.