SUMMERTIME!!

You’ve seen the memes or heard many, many, many people say about teachers and summers – “it’s nice to have your summers off” – or the best part of teaching is in June, July, and August.  But I’m here to tell you that summers for teachers are definitely not “vacations.”  Don’t get me wrong, there are some teachers that use that time to enjoy their families – who have been added to their list of “things to take care of” during the nine months of the school year, and FINALLY get a chance to go on a vacation or have some fun.  With that said, what is it that teachers do during the summer months?

I should begin with this caveat:  teachers are not employed in the summer months, unless they choose to be.  What does that mean?  We sign contracts that are from September through May (which bleeds into June).  Some teachers choose to get paid throughout the 12 months and some get paid only through the end of May.  I’ve worked in schools where both payment options were given.  When I worked four years in St. Francis, WI, all teachers were paid only nine months - September through May.  It was up to me to set aside money so that I could pay myself for the summer months so that I could pay my bills.  During that time, I did not teach summer school, and I did not have a summer job.  Those summers I relaxed a lot, but I was also taking classes for my Master’s degree. I was not only not working, but spending money to take these classes.  It was truly a balance of school work and school prep, and some fun along Lake Michigan.  

Taking classes to improve classroom instruction and understanding the brains of adolescents really helped me to become a pretty great teacher.  Many, many teachers use their summer time to improve themselves professionally by taking grad classes.  Lately, many school districts have implemented professional development on their own where they train their staff in new curriculum pieces, as well as classroom management strategies. Some call it a teacher’s boot camp or workshops.

Often school districts REQUIRE their teachers to come in for training, paying them for their time.  BUT if a teacher wanted to get better in their craft and wanted to take additional credits toward a certification or degree, that money comes from the teacher.  In the field of education, teachers are expected to further our training and also pay for it. In many cases, if you work in business and need additional training, the business will often pay for that training.  I know there are exceptions to this in both situations, but it is still thought-provoking.

Teachers often have second or third jobs that they maintain not only during the school year, but into the summer, too.  I have a friend who works for an agricultural large “box” store to help pay for her small farm.  She works part-time AFTER school and on the weekends, as well as summer hours, too.  Additionally, she teaches summer school in June and July.  When school starts in mid-August, she has had no “vacation,” to speak of.  She has had very little time to give herself a much-needed break before starting school for the following year.  Teachers NEED a break in order to refresh and rejuvenate themselves before the new year begins. 

When my children were in school, I taught summer school to help make ends meet.  I taught in the mornings, and then in the afternoons we would go to the local pool or play in the park or in our yard.  It was my choice to do this, but if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for the extra things that we did those summers, to say nothing about paying for school supplies, school clothes, and the activities with which my kids wanted to participate.  In other words, the “extras” that my salary might not have covered.  It’s fair to say that during that time  I was getting paid for my nine-month job in 12 months, so my salary continued for my monthly bills.

Summer is a time to break away from school – even for a little bit.  It’s a time to reflect on the previous year, think about what we can do to make some needed changes to ourselves and our curriculum, and more importantly, to just let things go.  Starting the fall semester with a clear head will not only be motivating personally, but also professionally for the students and the community for which teachers serve.  I made sure that I spent my summers doing things with my family and my friends.  I could unplug and just live day to day, without thinking about school, too.  Teachers NEED this.

When you see a teacher during the summer months, please, please, please do NOT insult them by saying, “Oh, it’s nice to have the summer off.”  Maybe just thank them for taking care of your kids or your community’s kids while they’re at school.  Or just thank them for all the hard work that they’ve done throughout the school year and wish them well – hopefully getting some much needed personal time, NOT thinking about school.  Ya know – an actual vacation.