Comments on: The Myth of Summers Off

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:38:17 +0000

I couldn’t agree more! I teach 7th and 8th grade social studies and I also coach. My day usually ends at school around 6:30pm. I make an effort not to bring my work home with me, but even then, my mind is forever thinking about the next days lessons or how to help my players succeed. A teacher’s mind never rests. Even during summers or over holidays, we look for better resources and more interesting activities. I commend you, tweenteacher, for helping us voice our side with this website and your insight.

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:19:57 +0000

I really enjoyed your post. I love when people say, “Cant beat having the summer off!” or my favorite, “Stop complaining, your day ends at three and you have the summer off!”. I always have a sudden urge to physically strike these people..lol. Yes, having the summer off is great, but we deserve it! I feel that some just don’t understand our workload and the amount of stress that comes with it. As, for leaving school at three…this is a rarity! On top of staying at school long after dissmissal, we then get to take home the work we didn’t finish and put in a few more hours at home! So again, I think we’ve earned the summer off!!

By: tweenteacher.com » Advice for a Future Department Head

tweenteacher.com » Advice for a Future Department Head — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:47:30 +0000

[...] and improve our existing assessments, sometimes starting from scratch. (See my recent post, “The Myth of Summers Off). Every year we take on new technology, like the slow rollout of the Interactive Whiteboards, that [...]

By: J.

J. — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:51:35 +0000

Teacher’s don’t get the “summer off” — teachers are paid for a certain amount of days. Holidays and summer are UNpaid days.

I’ve never used this line before, but essentially we should say that we are LAID OFF each summer.

BTW, does any ever tell a construction worker “must be nice that you don’t work a full year”?? There are weeks, if not months, sometimes that they don’t work due to weather (at least in the north).

By: teachin'

teachin' — Sat, 30 May 2009 22:31:56 +0000

Nice post. When people tell me that it must be nice to have summers off, I like to respond with, “Yeah, and I don’t do much the rest of the year either.” I say it with a smile, but it gets the point across and the person is usually immediately apologetic and acknowledges how freakin’ hard teachers work.

By: Jeanie Robinson

Jeanie Robinson — Sat, 30 May 2009 13:35:52 +0000

I appreciate your blog. You did such a good job of explaining just how we spend those summers “off”.

I have been teaching full time and attending graduate school full time for the past two years. This will be my third summer in summer school. (I finish July 1.) As my reward, I am insisting on JULY off. I have a beach trip planned, vacation in the mountains, and some time with the family scheduled. Even in that month, I have to give on one day (that I know of) to host a football clinic that I was able to schedule with our Carolina Panthers. (I don’t even coach anything.)

I am turning down all offers of free workshops, training dates, curriculum conferences, etc…for that entire month. This is the first time in YEARS that I have done that. Again, not the ENTIRE summer, just the middle part.

Hope you have some rest time this summer. We ALL deserve it!!

By: Tweenteacher

Tweenteacher — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:43:17 +0000

Celel,
Don’t let me dissuade you from being a teacher (especially one that wants middle school – you go girl!), but don’t fall for the myth of getting out at 3:00 and having vacations to yourself. It’s just not the reason to go into it. I have a son right now and we’re moving ahead with kid #2 soon, so I understand the need to find a profession that allows you to juggle all of your jobs, both in the home and outside of it.

Teaching is, of course, family friendly in many ways. But know that it is far more tolerant of sacrifice for other people’s children then it is for your own.

I tell you, however, what I believe that teaching has given me as a parent: a greater understanding of their development and growth, access to some of the best minds in education willing to answer my questions, and a knowledge of how to be an educational advocate for my own children.

Teaching keeps me on my toes. It helps hone my home antenna. It allows me to have my home and work surrounded in literacy. It allows me to talk about education at home. I will be able to speak his language and have insight into the “nothing” that will one day be his description of his day.

I love parenting, and I love teaching. But they compliment each other in ways I could not have predicted.
Good luck with your search, and touch base again to let me know how it’s going.
Take care,
Heather
aka Tweenteacher

By: CeleI stina

CeleI stina — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:14:12 +0000

I appreciated your blog. To be honest, I did not know that teachers were that busy in the summer. I am a student seeking a teaching degree. I want to teach middle school. I love that age where kids have so much energy and are playing with their personalities and who they will eventually become. I thought that teaching would be great since I have four kids. I wanted to teach anyway, but thought the schedule would be great. Well keep on keeping on.