Summer for Teachers

Summer is approaching and now is the time to think about what you plan to do. Sometimes I’m so overwhelmed by the possibilities that I feel paralyzed from taking any action. I thought it would help to decide if I listed the possibilities.

Here are some things teachers can do over the summer:

Relax and recharge:

• Go on vacation.
• Spend time with family and friends.
• Read.
• Go for walks in nature.
• Take a yoga class.
• Get a massage.

Plan for the upcoming school year:

• Create lesson plans.
• Order supplies.
• Get organized.
• Meet with your colleagues to discuss curriculum and lesson plans.
• Attend professional development workshops.

Take professional development courses:

• There are many online and in-person professional development courses available.
• Some courses are free, while others require a fee.
• Choose courses that are relevant to your teaching interests and needs.

Volunteer:

• Many organizations need volunteers.
• You could volunteer at a local school, library, or community center.
• You could also volunteer to tutor students or mentor young people.

Travel:

• There are many great places to travel.
• Choose a destination that interests you and that you think you'll enjoy.
• Do some research to find the best deals on flights and accommodations.

Learn a new skill:

• There are many online and in-person classes available.
• Some classes are free, while others require a fee.
• Choose a skill that you're interested in learning and that you think will be useful.

Start a side hustle:

• There are many different side hustles that you could start.
• Some popular side hustles include tutoring, selling handmade goods, and dog walking.
• Do some research to find a side hustle that you're interested in and that you think you'll be good at.

Do nothing:

• Sometimes the best thing to do is simply nothing.
• Take some time to relax and enjoy the summer.
• Read a book.
• Go for a walk.
• Spend time with family and friends.

No matter what you choose to do over the summer, make sure you take some time for yourself to relax and recharge. After a long school year, you deserve it!

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 6/2/2023

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Teach Rock - “TeachRock improves students' lives by bringing the sound, stories, and science of music to all classrooms.From The Beatles to Beyoncé, from kindergarten to AP History, in the classroom or remotely, TeachRock offers meaningful lesson plans all at no cost to teachers, students, and families, inspiring deeper learning and understanding through the power of music.” (L:T; SA:A)

The psychology behind irrational decisions - “Often people make decisions that are not “rational” from a purely economical point of view — meaning that they don’t necessarily lead to the best result. Why is that? Are we just bad at dealing with numbers and odds? Or is there a psychological mechanism behind it? Sara Garofalo explains heuristics, problem-solving approaches based on previous experience and intuition rather than analysis.” (L:H; SA:S)

Squeak Grows a Garden - “​​Squeaks and Mister Brown really want to plant a garden this spring, but they don't know where to start! Lucky for them, their friend Juniper the Earthworm is a gardening expert! Join in as they learn the when and where to plant their garden so they can enjoy home-grown veggies all summer. Plus, they'll watch seeds sprout into baby plants, and even learn how to grow plants without soil!” (L:E; SA:S)

Indoor Farm - “Family turns small-town Sask. school into indoor farm ​— and runs a drive-thru for veggies” (L:T; SA:A)

Mental Health Chart - “Teacher’s Mental Health Chart for Students Inspires Educators Across the Globe to Follow Suit” (L:T; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

2023 Goals Review for May

May was a hectic month! Don had hand surgery and a tooth pulled which wasn’t much fun for him. I went to the doctor for a checkup and had lab work done. I found out my cholesterol and triglycerides were high. We bought a zero-turn riding lawn mower which was interesting. It takes Don about 45 minutes to mow the yard when it used to take him 3 days (a little each day). 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I’m still practicing my watercolor painting and my ukulele.

2. Knit at least 1 sweater - I finished with my sweater. (Collins Tee)

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – I bought 3 skeins of sock yarn. I finished knitting Sheldon the Seahorse, 3 thank-you gnomes, and a pair of socks. 

●  Yarn used - 5096 yds.

●  -Yarn bought - 1324

3. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl

4. Try 4 new recipes. - I didn’t try anything new in May

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - We are walking and exercising regularly 

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 10 pages for May (Total - 50)

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge – Completed through May.

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 in January, 2 in February, 6 in March, 5 in April. 4 in April (Total: 31)

10. Read 12 nonfiction books. – (total: 6).

-   Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

-   Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor

-   I Still Believe: A Memoir by Jeremy Camp

-   Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

-  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

-  Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

What are your goals for this year? Please share.

Small Enough to Jail

I recently found the movie Abacus: Small Enough to Jail on Amazon Prime but it is also available on the PBS website (Click on the link). It is a  little-known story of the only U.S. bank prosecuted in relation to the 2008 financial crisis. I was amazed how the government targeted them and the racism was so evident. Knowing how I was brought up in the Chinese culture, it hurt me to watch what happened knowing how deeply it affected this family. I highly recommend that you watch this and see what happens. 

The Joy of Discovery

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In The Joy of Discovery, Rushton features a man who is learning new things.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“What makes what the man in the video experiences interesting? Can you bring that to your own learning?”

I loved this video because I love learning. Every year, I have the goal of learning something new. I try to model this with my students and I want them to know that you should keep learning all your life and not just in school. I want my students to see me go through the process of learning and how I struggle to understand and practice my new skills. Some things I continue to do and improve my skills but some things I learn that I don’t like. I compare this to tasting new foods; some you like and some you don’t. Some you still include in your diet and others you stay away from but you would never have known that if you hadn’t tried it.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.