Reflect
While it’s still fresh, take some time to reflect on the past year and what you learned. Break out your journal or call a trusted colleague and share. Here are some questions to get you started:
What were your successes? What are you most proud of? What surprised you? What challenged you? What can you learn from the challenges? What were some of the biggest lessons you took away from your year, and how can you build on those and make them work for you next year? What are you grateful for?
Curl up with a Good Book
One of summer’s many pleasures is losing yourself in a book, especially with your toes in the sand! If you don’t already have a pile of books collecting dust on your nightstand or taking up space on your tablet, you can find ideas for your next read on one of the many booklists online. Search for award winners, “best of” lists, or the book review section of your favorite news source.
Goodreads is a social reading site that allows users to make lists of books they want to read, post book reviews, and discuss books. The "Explore" menu lets you browse popular new books or see instances of various genres.
And of course, there’s NEA’s Read Across America book list for you and your family!
Plant a Garden
Gardening is good exercise, has been shown to reduce stress, and can also save you money at the grocery store. Find a sunny spot, gather some seeds or small plants, a shovel or spade, and watering can, and you’re on your way.
If you don’t have yard space, containers can work for flowers and vegetables or see if there’s a community garden in your neighborhood.
Search for tips for new gardeners online or ask for ideas at your local nursery. Gardening can be a fun and healthy activity for the whole family!
Tour Your Hometown
Be a tourist in your own town or city and visit local museums, galleries and historic sites with a fresh perspective as if you’re new to the area. Check out your local visitor’s center for ideas and spend a day or a weekend seeing the sights. While you’re there, ask about educational partnerships. Does the museum or site offer field trips or other resources for educators and students?
You can also take virtual tours and take note of ideas for lessons and other classroom projects. Hit the Big Apple with the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s virtual tour. After that, check out MetKids for educational videos and an online “time machine” that takes students on a trip through 5,000 years of art history.
Never been to the Smithsonian? The world’s largest museum complex has 21 museums, 14 educational and research centers, and the National Zoo. You can take a trip there from your living room at si.edu.
Improve Your Practice from Home
Is there an area of teaching or student learning you want to brush up on? Chances are, there’s an NEA micro-credential for that!
A micro-credential is a short, competency-based recognition that allows an educator to demonstrate mastery in a particular area. NEA offers over 175 micro-credentials that are grounded in research and best practices, created by educators for educators. They are personalized, flexible, and performance-based. Learn more at nea.org/microcredentials.
Check out a Podcast
The number and variety of podcasts has exploded over recent years and listening to a podcast is part of the daily routine of at least one in ten Americans, according to Pew Research. True crime podcasts are the most popular, but there are so many to choose from you can certainly find one to match your interests or to enhance your profession.
There are dozens of podcasts on history, science, art, literature, technology, politics and government, but also a fast-growing number of podcasts for educators, exploring everything from classroom management and lesson planning to education reform and advocacy.
Find your next listen on platforms like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or YouTube.
Set Goals for Next Year
Take some time this summer to think about what you love about education and why you chose to follow the call to the classroom. What are the rewards? What sparks your passion? With this in mind, set goals that will bring more of what you love about your job.
If you want to encourage curiosity and a love of learning, set goals to help achieve that. Examples could be to include more hands-on experiences, connect lessons to students’ interests, apply lessons to real life and current events, and create more opportunities for conversations about the lesson.
If you enjoy working with children and watching them grow, set goals to build stronger relationships with students. For example, next year I’ll give my students more voice and choice in the classroom, or I’ll get to know my students’ interests with a short questionnaire about their favorite music, sports, or other activities and pastimes and talk to them about their interests and incorporate them into lessons.
If your goal is to find more time, check out this NEA Today article on winning the race against the clock.
Maybe you want to feel more positive and banish guilt for not accomplishing the impossible. (Remember, it is not possible to do it all!) If so, read this NEA Today story on saying goodbye to teacher guilt.
Stay Informed
Sign up for one or more of NEA’s newsletters and get everything from practical classroom tips and advocacy ideas, to education news and professional development resources—delivered directly to your inbox. You can change or cancel your subscription anytime. Visit nea.org/connect to learn more.
Get to Know Your Union
The National Education Association is the largest labor union in the country. We are a community of three million educators and public service workers—teachers, nurses, paraeducators, counselors, custodians, bus drivers, higher education faculty, families, and supporters—all working together for students, public schools, and our communities.
NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States. Find your state and local affiliate at nea.org/nea-affiliates, follow them on social media, and check out upcoming events over the summer to make friends and get involved in promoting your public school and fellow educators.
Breathe
Take a five-minute break in your day to follow your breath. Some call it mindfulness, others meditation, but no matter the label, being fully present and concentrating on your breath can help zap stress in the moment. The benefits of mindfulness build over time -- make it a habit this summer and it will become an essential tool for stress busting next school year.
Find a quiet spot, close your eyes, and take deep, slow breaths. Focus on the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body. It’s a simple practice to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone in your body) that, when chronic, can lead to health problems and more stress. Slow breathing can reduce cortisol levels.
Try breathing in for four counts, holding for one, and breathing out for six. Ahhhh….now, relax, and enjoy your summer!
