Summer Routines?
It’s here! It’s finally here! Summer vacation has officially arrived and we couldn’t be happier. I saw a meme the other day that said something along the lines of “Summer vacation isn’t time off for teachers, but rather comp time they earned during the school year.” Truth!
Summer is a great time to get ahead on professional development hours and focus on one area you would like to grow in for the upcoming school year. It could be something as simple as classroom orginization systems or reorganizing your classroom library. Or you might even push yourself a bit further and focus on learning some science of reading techniques. The possibilities are endless.
Whatever you choose to do, be sure to find time for YOU! We can’t stress this enough. In fact, this is going to be your first journal prompt for this blog: How will you make time for you each and every day (even if it is only 10 minutes!) Allow yourself to reflect and simply jot down whatever thoughts come up for you.
Now, let’s push a little further. What will you commit to learning this summer in order to grow your school experience next year? This doesn’t have to have negative connotation because we all need to grow each and every year.
Summer Routines
So let’s start talking summer routines. We are teachers and often one of the biggest perfects of summer vacation is not having to set an alarm and follow a schedule. If this works for you, then that’s awesome. If not, then let’s start thinking about what a schedule could look like for you this summer. You don’t have to hammer out every minute of every day, but definitely create a routine that you feel will work for you.
Take a minute right now and journal a rough schedule of what you envision your days looking like. Yes, obviously things will come up, but just do the best you can.
Hopefully as you planned out routines for this summer, you blocked off time for working out. During the school year one of the main reasons many teachers don’t workout is because they simply don’t have the time or the energy. Well, now that school is out it is time to make time because this is a crucial piece to mental health.
Workouts
You could simply walk your neighborhood or take a bike ride for 30 minutes. Find something you enjoy and just get started. Personally, I love Beachbody's 9 Week Control Freak program. It is 5 days a week and sessions are anywhere from 25-35 minutes. The actual working out is less than that, but boy does it make an impact. I also love that if my week gets crazy, then I can move my off days to fit my routine.
So you probably know what you’re going to be asked to do now right? Look back at your routine and block of 30 minutes of movement each day. Be specific on what you will commit to doing. Remember, this is all about you improving yourself so don’t cheat yourself. There’s no right answer.
“What’s for Dinner?”
Our next topic we are going to tackle is everyone’s favorite question, “What’s for dinner?” Wait, that isn’t your favorite question? Ha! Just kidding…other than my brother who is a chef, I don’t know of too many people who enjoy that question which is why we are going to tackle it.
First of all, there are so many ideas on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. Find what you like and maybe once a week try a new recipe with your family. Next, come up with a game plan for what your weeks will look like. For example:
Monday - Pasta Night
Tuesday - Taco Night (so many variations you should never get bored!)
Wednesday - New Recipe Night
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday - App Night
Sunday - Grilling Out
Having a rought schedule such as this will make your life so much easier! Depending on how well you know your neighbors, maybe create a schedule where once a week someone hosts dinner for the families. It is super fun and it is one less meal you have to cook:)
Feel free to use our meal plan above or create your own, but take some time to create a plan that will work for you and your family.
Household Chores
This last topic we are going to discuss as dive into our summer vacations may not be an exciting one, but it is oh so very necessary: household chores! Yes, the vacuuming, the laundry, the dusting, changing sheets, dishes, yard care…these things all eat up time. The best way to ensure that you will discipline yourself to complete each task every week is to set up a schedule. Here is a quick idea to get you started:
Monday - Run dishwasher, laundry
Tuesday - Anything outdoors that made need tidying up
Wednesday - Vacuuming and dusting
Thursday - Clean bathrooms/run dishwasher/laundry
Friday - Change sheets
Saturday/Sunday - Off (or makeup any chores that may have been skipped during the week.
Again, you are welcome to use our schedule above, but feel free to create your own schedule that will work for you and your family. By all means, if you have little ones at home that are able to help with these tasks, then get them involved. Children as young 3 or 4 can do little things such as cleaning up their toys, folding towels, or putting their laundry away.
As much as we love summer, we also love a solid routine. Hopefully you found this blog helpful and it will benefit you and your family this summer. Does this mean that everything you wrote today is written in stone? Of course not! We are teachers and flexibility is one of our strongest talents. If you do switch up your routine, then find a way to balance it throughout the week.
Did you know…
We are so passionate about helping primary teachers that we wanted to save you as much time as possible! If you read this blog post and completed the journal questions, then send us a picture either on Instagram or email ([email protected]) . Once you do that, then we will send you a 1 hour Teacher Self-Care professional development certificate.
Imagine how many hours you can earn for FREE. if you did this each week:)
If you enjoyed this post…
If you enjoyed this post, then you’ll want to read this Time to Reflect on the 2021-2022 School Year and earn another contact hour.
And if you haven’t grabbed The 7 Habits To Avoid Teacher Burnout, then what are you waiting for? Just something to keep in mind come August.
Reminder…
We continue to support K-3 teachers, both new teachers, and veterans, on their journeys. If you are interested in joining and earning some of the EASIEST PD hours you will ever earn, then be sure to check this out. Feel free to contact us with any thoughts or questions. You can earn 60 HOURS in 1 year!
The Mission of Lesson Plan Toolbox:
Our mission at Lesson Plan Toolbox is to save K-3 teachers time and energy while providing resources and knowledge of 21st-century learning.
Until next week…
Teach~Relax~Repeat
Lauren
