Making Summer Count!

As the school year came to a close, we begin to make lists, plans, and piles of stuff we hope to get done over the summer.  As the lists and piles grow large both at home and school, we begin to feel so overwhelmed we don't know where to start!  

Don't let summer just happen, as you binge watch Netflix, pin other teachers' great ideas and scroll through your newsfeed on Facebook... CREATE A PLAN!  The reality is without a plan life sort of just happens!  Then before you know it, August rolls around and you have more regret, heartache, and resistance to starting the school year than ever before as you feel unprepared and under motivated.  (I have totally been there and believe me it is the worst!)

So let's get started!  Write down your long term summer goals and day to day short term objectives.  (Like how I threw in a little IEP action, once a special education teacher always a special education teacher:) 

To support success, have your short term objectives coincide with your long term goals.  By connecting small daily to do's to larger overarching goals, you can gradually work toward the end result without feeling overwhelmed or becoming paralyzed by huge projects looming overhead.  

Be sure to include home and family goals as well as school and professional goals.  Ain't nobody happy, if home life isn't happy, organized and stress free!  Taking time to renew family relationships, and organize life around the house has a huge impact on your quality of life and ability to be the best teacher you can be.  

As you accomplish small daily to dos for home and school, you get little hits of mastery that boost your confidence and self-worth, which keep you in a productive pattern of using the lazy days of summer wisely.   Which leads me to one final point, don't forget to find some time for yourself to be lazy!  Include work and play in your daily to-do's!

Remember we can only be good for others if we are first good to ourselves!  By taking time to rejuvenate the soul, we can prepare ourselves for the best school year yet!!   Alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves summer has just begun!  Go out their get your long and short, home and school, and work and play goals going!

Best Wishes Until Next Time, 
Lindy

PS- I am hoping next time will be sooner rather than later one of my summer goals it to get back into blogging on a regular basis!