My annual "I've done jack squat" this summer break thread....

OK, I admit. I said that I would do some work other summer break. Tidy up some lesson plans.... go through the standards a little more so that I will try to cover everything well instead of just cover everything... But, I haven't done jack squat!! For those heading back in August, who's done very little besides chill out?

 

Me! I'm going to be good and do a teeny bit of planning at a coffee shop tomorrow though. In theory.

I also have 5 hours left of training for our new grade/attendance/whatever system, so... yay? I'm doing it as quickly as I possibly can, because I definitely am getting ripped off doing this for free on my own time over the summer (though I do get 6 PD hours, so that's nice I guess) in exchange for NOT having to sit through a 2 hour training in August. I get prep time instead. Not sure it was a good trade, but I can get a lot done in 2 hours.

 

After the school year ended for me (May 31st), I spent a week making new problem sets for my AP Calc AB/BC classes and then an additional three weeks (2-3 hours each weekday) creating material for a new Calc 3 class that I will be teaching (multivariable calculus and vector analysis) for when the new school year starts. I absolutely can’t wait to teach students about Fubini’s Theorem, Divergence Theorem, Green’s and Stokes’ Theorems, Clairaut’s Theorem, the work done in a vector field (i.e. how to compute the net work done in conservative and nonconservative fields), computing the center of mass and moment of substances of both uniform and non-uniform densities, computing double and triple integrals, computing line integrals (parametrized and otherwise) for closed and open boundaries, etc., etc. I’m excited!

(I’m also secretly going to savor the student’s moans and groans when they realize what they’ve got themselves into. And I just may have a reputation for teaching some of the most difficult classes at my school and easily rival the notoriety of the AP Chemistry and AP Physics teachers in terms of difficulty. The students are in for a bumpy ride, but it’ll be a blast! Whahaha!)

 

I’m the opposite. I haven’t really done anything for my own classroom or instruction, specifically, yet. However, I spent the first week of summer break doing paid curriculum writing for my district. I’m now working on five credit hours of coursework in order to get myself over to the next lane of the salary schedule by August. I’m also doing a tutoring practicum in order to gain certification in a particular reading intervention program. I feel as if I’ve barely had a moment for rest. I’m learning some things that are giving me good ideas for next year though. I just don’t know when I’ll have time to sit down and think about how to actually implement them.

 

Hey, you’re a dedicated teacher! Be proud and keep up the great work!

 

Been out since mid-June. I finished up my end of year paper work (stack) and planned my professional goals for next school year. I've also planned out my 3rd grade curriculum week by week for next school year. We have to for our principal, but it is a good thing to do. I still need to finish doing so for 4th - 6th grade before August in-service days begin. Already planning to attend 2 online PD workshops as well that I can add to my list of PD that I did this year.

 

I'm a jack-squatter! This is my vacation and everything can wait until I go back.

 

I've taken two special ed grad classes, but other than that, I've relaxed and done nothing all summer. I am gearing up to spend the end of July fine-tuning some things. I do, however, feel more rested than I've felt in a very long time.

 

I moved content I organized on my haikulearning site to a new google site since my achool admins decided to block haiku altogether (they want all teachers to use google classroom). I also prepared homework assignments for both my AP and regular Physics classes, and have created weekly quizzes for the first half of the year! Still have one more class (Materials Science) to work on-going to create daily warm-up journaling, clean-up some powerpoints, and prepare student "interview" questions to ask after lab stations. And I have a weeklong PD for Mat. Sci. that I am really looking forward to.

It looks like a lot, but I still managed to play golf at least twice a week since break has begun!

 

Jack squat right here, but I haven’t relaxed either‍! I’ve been finding random tasks to do around the house to avoid schoolwork

 

Hey, I got a new job. That should fill my work quota.

And my new school is still working out kinks on a new curriculum, so I don't know to plan anyway.

 

I've actually been enjoying housework (Note: this does not mean my house is clean, but I'm getting some major decluttering done).

 

We haven't done a lot, considering how much free time we have had to do things. We are both teachers, and we have been out of school since the end of May/first of June.

• cleaned house
• painted the hallway
• done some Cricut projects
• took a short (3 day) trip with my mom
• finished a patio off the master suite

That's been pretty much it. Most days DH plays xbox and I play around on my iPad.

 

Me too! This is the summer to go through almost 30 years of clutter.

 

See... Math teachers are pure evil. I've been saying this for ages but this is absolute proof. My physics class is always an AP class simply because that's the only way we offer physics. Personally though I don't think it's really that hard. Like I've said previously, my classes are lab based. So part of that is coming up with expected results and theories, then proving your theory. Students are given the very basic frame work but are expected to provide the walls and make the lab work.

As soon far as op's post, I haven't done jack squat school related this summer. The last 2-3 weeks of school I start to get to the point where I complain to my husband "I don't wanna go don't make me". Incidentally the are the same days where it's pretty outside and I want to not be trapped indoors. But I'm getting to the point now it's like okay let's go back to work now.

 

We’re not evil! And I’ll have you know that I am actually very personable, I make frequent corny and non-corny jokes, my classroom is very inviting and colorful, and I make all of my classes fun. For example, we do a lot of hands-on learning (and the activities are real-world applicable), we watch exciting online videos from Physics Girl, Numberphile, Vsauce, plus else on YouTube; we play math games, etc. BUT, I also ensure that my courses are very rigorous because a lot of my students go into STEM fields and I prepare them very well for their studies after high school.

 

Sure! Says the one who is going to savor their students' disgruntled moans! I do the video thing as well. I just have to download them to my personal laptop because YouTube is blocked on school internet.

 

I haven't really done much since I got out on May 23. I went to free PD provided by Cherokee Nation back in June for a couple of days. They are really big in getting STEM into our schools. I had a lot of fun in some of the sessions. They gave me some wonderful ideas about how to implement STEM in my 1st grade classroom this year. I went to this free PD last year (it is held on the college campus that I graduate from and it is so nice to go back there. It is a beautiful campus and the PD is held where the Campus Bookstore is located so I usually stop in there and find a book or two) and I really enjoyed it. I was able to get a couple of my colleagues to go with me this year.

I was given a book (actually all teachers have to read it not just me) by my principal to read (The Classroom Management Book-Harry Wong) but I haven't even started it yet. I guess I need to get it read soon though. If my classroom has been cleaned, I would like to go in this week and start getting it ready for this upcoming school year. Every year I say I want to be more organized but is never seems to happen I have been enjoying my summer though. I've been shopping for new books for my classroom library-I love going to thrift stores and yard sales. Lots of times when I say I am a teacher they will let me buy things for less or even give me stuff for free!

 

It’s okay to enjoy their disgruntled groans. They’re beautiful things and I chuckle every time I hear them.

 

I updated my test prep manual. And threw out a whole bunch of paperwork. The only other work I'm doing is working on my tan.

 

Haha. I love it!

 

Evvvvviiiillllllllll! Hah. Personally I have fun with it too so I can't blame you entirely. I love when we do the trebuchet lab which is usually last. If I suspect a group isnt actually doing the math I will sneak in a larger projectile (or smaller) which throws off the how far it will go part.

 

My sleep schedule is waaaaay off (as it usually is throughout the summer). I've been going to bed at 2am most days. I'm normally in bed by 9pm on school nights.

 

Same. Of course I do that on school nights bad to.

 

Hahahahaha! Yes, give in to the dark side. Let it consume you, lol!

 

At least I have a legitimate teaching excuse! I change the projectile, they don't adjust their formulas, they're way off target. Thus, didn't learn anything.

 

Not me. I’ve got a new AP prep next year. Every bit I plan now will equate to less stress and/or less non-contract hours spent working during the school year. Our daughter goes to daycare two days a week during the summer to keep in that routine and hold her spot for next year; I take advantage of that time and focus on planning (unless a ‘honey-do’ list eats into that time lol).

 

My problem is I have started a few projects and then left them to start other projects. Right now I have boxes in the living room. I have a project on my desk and then my lesson plan book laying next to the bed with a couple TE books for math and reading. Plus today's project is to layout my class room on paper and try to figure somethings out. I keep telling my husband I will really need to finish at least one of these projects. But alas I sit and watch Netflix and play on the computer. Although today I really thought about going to my room to work. Maybe tomorrow I will finish something.

 

I never do anything school related in the summer. My school changes so much every year that it would be a complete waste of time; anything I'd try to do would very likely have to be redone when school starts and I figure out what all the new changes are. Also working in sped, I'm not just following a regular yearly curriculum that I can start prepping for or anything like that. It all depends on which kids I have and what their needs are. We have a very transient population, so it's not even worth trying to gather that information at the end of the school year. It'd be the same situation with me having to redo all of the work when I figured out how many of those kids left and how many new kids moved in.

 

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The only work I would do over the summer is paid summer school or paid curriculum writing. I'm not working for free over the summer.

 

We did go to the beach this weekend. I wasn't careful as I should have been apparently, because I got some sand on the inside of my gel sock for my prosthetic. It rubbed a right wonderful blister on my thigh. Fantastic.

 

I've had one week of summer holidays and I accomplished a lot. It's amazing how many errands I just didn't have time for in June. I feel like I spent the entire first week running errands. This week I'm having fun with family, reading books and watching far too much Netflix. Summer is about re-charging and it's good to do nothing, if that's what refreshes you. In a few weeks I'll be ready to pull out some curriculum documents on rainy days to re-familiarize myself with the grade 1 learning outcomes. Until then, I will enjoy the sun, totally guilt free.

 

I'm heading out on a road trip tomorrow. I've packed one professional book, but my e-reader is loaded with psychological thrillers! Recharging and relaxing is what will make me most effective come September.

 

Hello fellow Jack-Squatters! I have decided for the month of July I will just hang out with my dogs, go to the city for shows and lunches, catch-up with friends & dr appts, read, & Travel! (Just got back from Florida with my niece and next week I head to Nashville for a girls weekend.) Of course my husband is babysitting the dogs both times. Lol! Loving summer vacation. Will do work in August.

 

Waiting on my administrator license to be issued and watching movies. When I get paid as an administrator, I'll do "work" during the summer.

 

I am the king of irony. I have a bunch of procrastination posters plastered all on my walls and stress the point of not procrastinating, however thats all I've done this summer. I will never let my students know that though lol, they would give me crap about it for about a month.

 

I have two weeks to get things accomplished and get my sleep schedule back on track. At least I didn’t get my days & night completely flipped like I did a few years ago.

 

I’ve seen Jurassic World, Incredibles 2 and Ocean’s 8, but I haven’t seen Ant Man and the Wasp, nor have I seen Skyscraper or the new Hotel Transylvania movie. I have much work to do!

 

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