The Final Saturday

The Final Saturday

Monday morning we will finally welcome students into our classrooms. For me, it will be a new classroom, in a new grade with a new schedule, but only a few new faces. The excitement has been bubbling over for weeks now. I’ve managed to add all the finishing touches to my classroom, worked out the first nine weeks of curriculum and feel confident in my new position. This will be my second year working with the same co-teacher, and we are both thrilled to build upon what we started last year. This school year will mark my 15th year as a classroom teacher. Typing that number makes me realize that I’m nearly halfway through my career, and I still have that nervous sensation in the pit of my stomach.

Summers off are not exactly accurate when talking about teachers. Summers are usually the best time to catch up on all the things on our to-do list. Summer is also a great time to learn, read and plan for the next school year. Here are a few ways that can help you make the most of your teacher summer.

Much has changed since my first year in 2001. I’m having to learn what it means to say goodbye every morning to my toddlers and that can be one of the most difficult tasks as a teacher-mom. Morning cuddles, afternoon messes, and evening family outings provided us with a fulfilling summer season. Because there was a major transition to make at school my husband and I decided to keep our babysitter two days a week throughout the summer. This was the greatest decision we made! It gave me two full days to take the time to move my classroom, start this blog, and prepare for the upcoming school year. In all my years of teaching, I don’t think I have ever had a smoother transition from summer to school year. There was no summer slide for me.

Summer is the perfect time to hone your craft as a teacher. With the opportunities available through online learning professional development can happen in bed or at the beach.

Dedicating two days a week gave me the freedom to spend the rest of the week loving on my children and spending time with friends. This was a fulfilling summer, and now I feel ready to be back in the classroom full-time. In the past, I’ve dragged my feet across that school year threshold, but this year I’m skipping.

Spending time to learn what a #teachertribe is all about helped me feel inspired and validated in my teaching practices. Knowing that so many of them are also teacher-moms who are creating that balance of work and home helped me feel at ease. These past few weeks have been crazy busy, hence the lack of blog posts, but I don’t feel a sense of guilt about anything. I’m excited to get back in the classroom with students because I have so many fresh ideas to share with them. I’m content to know my own children are cared for lovingly by family and friends. So as I sit here on my final Saturday of summer there is no pressure this year. No pressure to be the best teacher, no pressure to have the perfect classroom, no pressure to be a better mom. This Saturday will be spent feeling content that I’m a great teacher, with a very nice classroom and fully loved toddlers.

Thank you for walking this journey with me. Share your reflections of summer in the comments. I’d love to hear how you are making the transition from summer to school a smooth one.

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