It's HERE! You have survived another school year and made it to this mythical time called summer. But please, don't blink. Or it will be over. I want to help all of us teachers take a more strategic path to resting in the summer. I have put down seven different facets that will help you specifically recharge before fall comes.
1. Rest
Duh. That's what you are supposed to do. In order for you to be your best for your students next fall, you need to rest. Rest your mind. Rest your body. Rest your voice. Rest your spirit. Take some time that will recharge your batteries. Resting is actually a very broad category. Does that mean you should lay on the couch waiting for Netflix to ask "Are you still watching?"? Maybe. Should you sleep in? Maybe. Whatever your rest looks like. Take some time.
Here is the mistake that I found myself making. If I "rest" all the time, I actually become more anxious and start thinking about all the things I should be doing. Which isn't restful at all. So key number 2 will help you rest.
2. Schedule
I know, I know. I used the "S" word. Schedule. We aren't supposed to have to live by a bell schedule in the summer. But here is what I have found. If I don't operate on some sort of schedule, my time slips away. And the things that I wanted to do, I can't because I lost time. Last summer I wanted to take a digital marketing course (something way out of my wheelhouse). So I set an alarm for 5:30 am and spent a couple hours working on my course before the house got busy. Do I love the alarm at that time in the morning? Not at all. Do I love the fact that I can accomplish more and feel more rested and complete? Absolutely. This summer I am writing a book. 5:30 alarm, here we come.
Scheduling days and weeks can help too. Please hear me.
My name is Brennan Koch and I am not a scheduler.
I don't naturally do it. People ask to look at my lesson plans and I blush. The last lesson plan I wrote down I did so with hair on my head. And I've been bald a while. A long while. (Admin if you are reading this, please do not put me on a special plan, I know my weaknesses) But when I schedule, I get more done. And accomplishing things is restful to me. I showed someone my calendar for July. There are a total of 7 days that do not currently have something scheduled. And those will fill up.
I might schedule another backpacking trip. Or a fishing outing with my boys. I don't know. But when I schedule it, I do it. And when I do it, I feel more rested.
3. Work in your Passion
I get it, passion projects get put on the back burner through the school year. So take the summer to reignite that passion! Schedule times to simply work on your project. This could mean creating mental space to let your mind dream up the next great American novel or it could be woodworking. You know what you like to think about. Let your mind wander in that area and set apart enough time to explore it!
Admittedly, I have too many passions. I love to think of new ideas and try them out. And then move on to the next cool thing. This summer is tenkara. Japanese fly fishing. Who knows, maybe next summer you will be reading my tenkara blog. The point is that I will give myself permission to explore my passion and watch my cup fill up.
Do the same. Give yourself permission to chase a passion that fills you up.
4. Be in Nature
Whether you are a big city teacher or a rural teacher, we were designed to be in nature. Your senses are sharpened, your body is strengthened and mind sees clearly when you spend time admiring creation. I know that not everyone is an outdoorsy-type. Doesn't matter. You are human and made to experience your world. That might mean birding at your local park (new passion?) or trekking up mountains.
Near the end of the schoolyear I could feel my batteries running dangerously low, like when your computer announces that battery levels are "CRITICAL". That is where I was at. So I put on my pack in a rainstorm and hiked 7 miles and climbed over 2,300 vertical feet. Fell flat on my face on a wet rock, limped my way out of the woods. And was wonderfully recharged. Except for the bleeding and swollen leg, I was ready to go again the next weekend. There is something about meeting the Creator in creation that allows us to breathe a little deeper.
5. Dream
I know it seems odd, but you need to give yourself space to dream. It could be dreaming about your distant future or it could be dreaming up ways to make chemistry better. One member on facebook was dreaming the other day about putting stoichiometry as the first unit in chemistry. I have no idea if it will work. But the exercise let her mind wonder and seek the possibilities. This is healthy.
Dream up music. Dream about business. Dreamcast your classes. Just allow yourself the room to dream. Because you don't have to take attendance this summer, check out and dream.
6. Connect
You are around people all the time during the school year. But it can tend to turn into a sea of humanity. Sometimes that sea leads to feeling disconnected. Take some time this summer to intentionally connect in the relationships that matter the most to you. That could mean a text, a coffee, a dinner, or a road trip. Just be intentional about kindling relationships that may have suffered during the busyness of the school year.
My son bought me project for my birthday. He said he wanted to build a doghouse with me. I loved the gift. And was really excited to do it. And just this week we did it. The point? My birthday is in January. I took six months to wedge in enough time to connect with my son. That seems sad, but summer helped me afford the time to connect.
Just yesterday, I got to connect to a former student. I was out of town in the place he had moved to. We met for coffee. It was an hour of reconnecting. I got to hear his growth and his struggles. It was refreshing to see someone I had poured into living a life that matters. That filled my cup.
So take time to connect. Seek out the relationships. Schedule time to be there.
Here is a simple connection exercise for you. While mowing the lawn, you must send a text to someone you haven't heard from in a while before emptying each basket of grass. Just encourage them. Say hi. By the time your lawn is neat and manicured, you have started a number of conversations that matter to you.
7. Serve
This might seem a little counterintuitive. But in order to rest this summer, take your own energy and pour it out for someone else. Serve. Be there for them. You were designed to be a servant of mankind. You feel that, otherwise you wouldn't be a teacher. Becoming self-absorbed in the summer and only focusing on YOU won't fill your cup. Get outside yourself and lift someone up. This summer I am reroofing my sister-in-law's house. She is single and can't do it. But I can. So I will serve. I am taking a group of students for 10 days to serve on an Native American reservation in Montana. I don't know them. But I can serve them.
You don't have to do major projects, either. Just be the friend that your friend needs. Be the spouse that your spouse needs. Take your cup that you have been filling so carefully this summer and pour it out for someone else. Watch how quickly it refills to overflowing.
I hope these words of encouragement will help you rest this summer. I pray that you will come back in the next school year full of life and ready to serve your students like never before. Because in the long haul, watching your students grow up to be the people they were designed to be is the ultimate way to fill your teacher cup.
Opmerkingen