In the summer, there is always the transition from “Yay! It’s summer!” to “It’s almost time for back to school.” There is just some sort of feeling in the summer nights…maybe it’s the crickets, the cool evenings, the pool temperatures cooling off, or the advertisements for back-to-school, but only educators can sense the change from summer to school.
As we anticipate the new school year, educators start to feel the excitement of fresh faces, textbooks, scissors, new initiatives, and a structured routine. We may complain, we may try to look the other way, but only educators understand the unwritten sensation of the first day of school. Here are six activities to check off on your bucket list to help you make the transition back to school smooth and easy:
Family Time: Ask yourself if you have added to your investment in family time this summer. Have you spent quality time with parents, children, friends, and family? What activities are you still hoping to do before the first day of school? Take out your calendar app and schedule that time now. When we create an event, we are often bound to accomplish it. Set a few event reminders for activities you still want to accomplish on your summer bucket list.
So Good to Be Home: Have you spent time just being at home with enough time to enjoy the wonders of your kitchen, your family room, and the outdoors? Often we leave for work during the school year and yearn to come back to an organized home, a cozy family room, and a quiet bedroom. Spend some time, even just quietly soaking in the place you call “home.” What does that mean to you? How can you get your fill of “home” and be ready to face the challenges of a new school year?
Professional Growth: What have you done over the short summer to prepare you for the new school year? Here are some ways to grow professionally, even in the dog days of summer, just before the school year:
- Explore a professional article you “starred” during the school year. Look through past emails to see if there are any you deemed as “summer-worthy” and take a deep dive into learning about the topic you felt was important to read but didn’t have enough time to learn about during the school year.
- Call a colleague to chat about the new school year. Spend a few minutes recapping the last school year and talking about some of the initiatives of the new one. Taking the time for a slow roll back into the new school year with a colleague is a good way to collaborate on new ideas to come.
- Reflect back on your first days of school from last year. What went well? What can be improved upon? Looking back at the prior year’s lesson plans is often a good place to start.
A Simple Last Hurrah: No need to over-plan a luxurious trip to a faraway island or destination. Plan a day trip to a local attraction, pack a picnic in your own backyard or local park, or even take in a movie. Creating these simple experiences allows you to more easily incorporate them even in the busiest times of the school year. Use these waning days of summer to create short but sweet memories to last you throughout the year.
Practice a New Morning Routine: Start now to create a structured morning routine that jives with the demands of your work day. Consider keeping a calendar or schedule of a new workout, research 5 to 10 good morning routines, look for short but meaningful podcasts for your drive to work, and plan your first few moments of the day, sans electronics, that will carry you through a peaceful school day.
Incorporate “Pockets” of YOU Time: The days of hours and hours of relaxing at home by the pool and taking your time are coming to an end. Find ways to harbor pockets of time in your upcoming busy schedule to recapture the relaxing days of summer. Try to set aside 5 minutes a few times a day for a breathing exercise, meditation, full-body stretch, warm cup of tea or coffee, prayer, journaling…anything that helps reset your psyche to tackle the challenges of an educator.
Using some or all of these end-of-summer activities will set you up to be ready to rise to any challenge or opportunity that comes your way. Take a moment to plan one, two, or more of these activities to ease you out of a long relaxing summer and roll you into a sensational upcoming school year.
