My 1st "summer off" included several weeks of professional development, plus self-driven planning of enriching learning experiences. Not satisfied with the institutional whitish-grey of the walls, I also painted my classroom a more inviting shade of blue.
Here’s another reality well-known to educators and their families, but invisible to those hopped up on Fox Noise News: Teachers work well beyond school hours, including during the summer.
Yesterday, a Washington Post article discussed how teachers spend the oft-envied summer vacation: by working other jobs and preparing for students and the coming school year.
But for many teachers, the vaunted “summer off” is a shrinking season. Although all the teachers interviewed at Patriot had some kind of getaway planned, they were booking around work-related obligations, such as workshops and second jobs, that fill in whole blocks in their planners.
“People always say, ‘Wow, you get the whole summer,’ ” said Theresa Carson, who teaches business at the school. “But there are literally just three weeks when I don’t have something to do related to school.”
(Note to anyone who wants to begrudge Ms. Carson her three weeks: working with youth is a rewarding, but physically draining, occupation. Having worked in both “grown-up” centered environments and kid-centered ones, I can attest to the fact that I definitely burned more calories in the latter situations! Eight hours with dozens of kids is just. plain. more. tiring. Don’t believe me? Give it a try…)
But, as with many other realities educators face in this day and age, we can’t assume that the public will just know we go through, or that we can depend on the media to fact-check each other when myths like “teaching is a part-time job” take root. We have to educate the public in order to create change.
So, in the spirit of the grade-ins and other actions designed to show the public how much work teachers do beyond school hours, I think it would be a good idea to photograph, blog, tweet and otherwise share the work you’re doing this summer.
Any ideas for a hashtag? #SchoolsStillIn? #SummerWork?
Our district is giving each teacher an iPad…but first they must take summer training. Here was our response.
http://ahuntingtonteacher.blogspot.com/2012/05/boycott-all-voluntary-summer-training.html
Interestingly, on the last day of school they came back with the offer we could sign off and refuse training.
http://ahuntingtonteacher.blogspot.com/2012/05/boycott-all-voluntary-summer-training.html
One of the most frustrating things with regard to others’ view of “summers off” is that classroom teacshers are only paid for 9 months, not 12, so off course they get time off. Why would a 9 month employee work for 12 months? Does a Wal-Mart employee on a 9hour shift work for 12 hours with no overtime pay? Now many teachers choose to get a reduced salary and spread the pay over 12 months, but still They are only paid for 9 months. How is that an afront to tax payers?
As someone who has been married to a teacher for 13 years — and who grew up with a Dad who was a teacher, I can definitely attest to the fact that school is not “out” for summer.
My wife participates in professional development (to those in the non-teaching world, think of it as a training or workshop) — this lasts a week.
She runs an extra-curricular program for which she is not compensated (it is expected as part of her job) and that group meets over the summer. Plus, she finds materials for the upcoming school year and hones her lessons.
I can also vouch for the fact that teaching is rewarding but highly demanding work! I volunteer at the school to coach the debate team — Just those few hours each week are incredibly exhausting.
When I visit my wife’s school and watch the work she does, I realize she’s working much, much harder than I am each day and making much less money.
If our communities truly valued children, this simply wouldn’t be the case.