Well, my fellow teachers…we did it. We made it through the school year and guess what? We had about a week or two off and now what have we done to ourselves? Summer school, that’s what. Back in the winter, we thought that summer school would be just what we needed. The extra income over the summer is always a plus. We knew we would be able to afford that extra glass (or bottle) of wine with those sweet summer school paychecks. But now we’re here and back at it so quickly.

I don’t think I’m ready to turn my teacher voice back on… So, let’s try and stay positive and think of all of the benefits of summer school, shall we?*

1. NETWORKING

One of the great benefits of summer school is that you get to work with people that you might not get the chance to work with in the regular school year. You are able to network and meet more people. Which also means that you can improve your own teaching by learning more techniques and strategies throughout the summer. It’s always nice to meet new people. When you’re in a job like this together, the bonding experience is totally worth it.

2. EXPANDING YOUR EXPERIENCE

Summer school in most districts is only about a month. I am a firm believer that you can do anything for a month (besides saying “no” to pizza for an entire month, but that’s beside the point…). This means that you have the opportunity to really step out of your comfort zone. You have the flexibility to choose if you want to work with the population that you’re used to or to try out a new group of students and see how you like it. For example, you could expand your experience to different grade levels, go from primary to secondary, work with a different population of student’s with disabilities, etc. If all else fails, lucky for you–it’s only for a short time! You can do it!

3. BRUSHING UP ON ORGANIZATION/MANAGEMENT

You just ended the school year. Your classroom may have been mistaken for an actual zoo the last few days of the year (no judgement). Now it’s time to brush up on your classroom management and see what needs fixing. Yes, you may still be tired from the school year and that’s okay. But, it’s time to prove to yourself that you truly are the rockstar teacher you wanted to grow up to be! This is the time to try new techniques and see what works for you and your students. This is also a time to challenge yourself and see how flexible you are. You got this!

4. HAVING HALF(ish) DAYS *hopefully*?

Most schools have half days for their summer school programs. So, guess what? You are able to go work, make an impact on students, make some extra money, expand your experiences, and practice techniques in only HALF A DAY! This also means that you are required to go to the pool or beach after and relax for the rest of the day. Or, have a glass of wine at 2 pm, who cares!? You’re killin’ it!

5. MOST IMPORTANTLY…THE STUDENTS

Obviously, we all care about our students. We are now fortunate enough to have another class of students that are in our care. Typically, the kids who are in summer school programs are some of our most needy students. This means that we are continuing to make an impact on their lives even on our “break.” Listen, you are a borderline angel for committing to this next month. And by the end of the month, it’ll be worth it. Just think about all of that progress these kiddos are going to make!

*This is based on my own experiences and may differ from schools to districts