Summer break is here! Well for Georgia's teachers and students, summer break began in May, and now it's almost over. Most schools in Georgia return to school in August... early August... but even with that sad fact, I want to let you know that summer break is one of the BEST perks of being a teacher!
I think that every profession should have 6 to 8 weeks off in the summer! And let me clear something up... teachers DO NOT get extra pay for the time we do not work in the summer. It's a 190 day salary that is divided over 12 months. Some states don't even divide it up over the summer.
But even with the 6 to 8 unpaid weeks during the summer, being able to fully decompress, reflect, relax, and recharge is wonderful! Teaching is a demanding and intense career... I believe summer breaks increases teacher effectiveness because it gives teachers a scheduled time to step away from the hecticness that is school and strategize for the next year and heal the wounds that sometimes are inflicted to the spirit, mind, and soul during a normal school year .... Even if a teacher does no school work during summer break, the opportunity to unplug is wonderful and leads to the desire to go back to the classroom and the readiness to work hard to improve.
As the first day of a new school year looms in the horizon, I hope all teachers have had a couple mornings of sinfully late sleeping, a few delicious lunch dates with friends, one or two visits to national or state parks and other free or cheap excursions, and maybe a bonafide vacation with all the bells and whistles because summer break is a great thing that is reserved for teacher.... thank goodness!