As an educator, I am constantly asked if I am enjoying my “summer off.”
The image above is a sampling of my task lists from this summer. A few of the items are personal in nature, but the vast majority are not. Most of the tasks are directly related to my job, whether they are related to scholarship, student advising, departmental paperwork, or prep for the fall semester.
In addition to the tasks listed above, I taught a class during the first summer term, and I lead a week-long summer camp at the end of June.
It is true that my summer schedule, like the schedules of many educators, is more flexible than the typical work schedule, and that flexibility provides opportunity for travel and other relaxation. Which is a good thing—as a K-12 educator I spoke with this week said, the students benefit from educators returning to school a little more relaxed than when they left in the spring.