The Summer Before Your First Year ☀️

 Summer break is that stretch of time when your alarm clock finally gets a break and your to-do list doesn’t include grading papers or planning lessons. After the chaos, growth, and deep exhaustion of the school year, summer is both a chance to reset and a time that can sneakily pile on guilt. The summer before my first year teaching, I felt so behind and like I NEEDED to be doing something. Should I be doing more? Should I already be prepping for the year? What could I be doing?

If you’re anything like me, those questions can weigh heavily. So here’s a mix of what I’ve learned—things I believe a first-year teacher should do during the summer, and just as importantly, what we shouldn’t.

Do ✅: 

• Teaching is physically and emotionally demanding. Summer is your recovery period, and it’s not a luxury—it’s necessary. Sleep in. Binge-watch. Read books with absolutely no educational value. Let your brain deflate a little. You’ve earned it.
• Spend time with people who make you feel like you, not just “Ms. So-and-so.” Revisit hobbies that got buried under lesson plans. Go outside. Laugh a lot.
• Grow (if you want to)

Don't 🚫:

• Feel like you need to be working. Productivity isn’t just about tasks—it’s also about healing, joy, and doing absolutely nothing. You are not falling behind by taking a real break.

Do ✅: 

• If you want to plan, do workshops, professional development, or decorate your classroom, DO it! You need to do what is going to make you feel good. If that won't make you feel good, then DON'T do it. Enjoy your time to soak in the summer before your big life change!

What are your favorite things to do or not do over summer break?

Next week's topic: First week of school: What do I do?!?