Summertime for educators, in general, is a time to get all the things done in other parts of your life that you put off during the school year. I like many educators filled my summer days with to do lists a mile long in order to use every moment I could during my “break”.We fill our days with doctors and dentist appointments, home projects and yes, a little time with your spouse or family and friends that you had to say no to all year long because you were in the trenches of your day to day classroom routines.
The concept of “summers off” has always been challenging to explain to anyone, not in the field of education. Most of us spend time reflecting on the past year and preparing for the new one. Pinterest boards that we pinned all sorts of articles and classroom ideas now get reexamined as we decide what we want our classrooms to look like for the coming year. There are stacks of books and articles we intend to read waiting next to our couch, carried in beach bags or on our nightstand. We also spend a great deal of time in personal professional development. During the school year, you may or may not be dictated the types of training and support you receive to enhance learning. But in the summer, most teachers delve into books and workshops of their own choosing, Personal Learning Networks, or PLNs as we call them are where we get advice from mentors that speak directly to our needs. On top of that add the fact I just completed my doctoral journey, where my summers were filled with writing and coursework that took up most of my days. I loved every minute of it, and I can’t wait to implement all that I have learned, but it is nice to be back here in this space writing rather than writing for others.
So this summer, for the first time in ages, I am giving myself the gift of reflection. It helps when you are forced to sit, as I am for over two weeks pretty much homebound because my daughter had ankle surgery, and can’t stay independently in her condo with all the stairs until the initial sutures heal. I have learned a lot just being in the quiet of my house, and although yes, there are many home projects that have clamored for my attention, I have been careful so far to not start something new, but rather finish so many of the projects that have remained half done over the course of the year, or two… or more.
Like who knew that low water yards don’t really mean no water? I have been sitting in the backyard at night just looking around at what used to be a pretty nice yard, and realized I haven’t taken care of it. It is survival of the fittest, many plants hanging in there, but the vibrancy and beauty are definitely lacking. Now let me share here, in all honesty, I love the idea of a yard, I don’t have the time or inclination to do the work required to have the yards I see on HGTV. I selected a low-water, low maintenance landscape on purpose. But low maintenance still means maintenance, and that really applies to all areas of my life. I have come to value my time more than tasks or things and the yard is an example of how I too am feeling, I survived these past 9 months since my mom’s illness then passing, but it has definitely taken a toll. I am motivated to change after being faced with the hard realization that time is all we have, and how we spend it is all we really have control over in the big scheme of it all. I love being busy but I am looking to do fewer things and do them well, and that mindset is new for the girl who prided herself on never saying no.
I have about a month of summer left. I have decided to practice I am working toward taking things off my lists and things out of my home/workspace that no longer is a priority in the life I lead now. Rather than frantically trying to cram things in, I am slowly but surely taking things away. Before I add a task to my color-coded to-do list (yeah, I know if I need to color-code it is still too large) I stop and ask myself three key questions:
- Is this something that needs to be done to make my personal life better?
- Does this take me closer to my goal?
- Does this have to be done today? Or even better, does this have to be done at all?
I challenge all my friends and colleagues to take some time to look at how you spend your days and ask yourself if that serves who you are now and who you want to become?