Summer is here! For many, summer is a time off. For others, it simply means a different job or the same job without the students present. One of the critical elements of working in education is finding the balance needed to continue to effectively. Educators must take time to renew the mind, refresh the body, and revive the desire.
Renewal of mind can come in many forms. Summer classes, lectures, seminars, etc. are available which can help with the renewal. Taking time to simply enjoy a new book about children, their needs, or their circumstance can also be an effective way to renew. Under Resourced Learners by Dr. Ruby Payne is an easy read that focuses on the solutions to struggling students. Many online formats such as aha!’s blog can also be used as an effective way to brainstorm ideas with other educators.
Refreshing the body may the most challenging of all the R’s. Take time this summer for that much needed health check up that you have been putting off. Extra sleep can do wonders for the human body. Research is quite pointed on the effects of sleep deprivation. Healthy food, exercise, and sleep will go a long way in helping refresh a tired and depleted body. Take the time to take care of your physical needs.
Revive the desire. Make a list of why you are an educator. Too many times we get so caught up in the paperwork, issues, testing struggles, etc. that we forget why our job as educators is not only needed by vital to our children and the communities we serve. Look at the graduation list online of the nearby colleges or high schools to see former students who have completed another chapter in their lives. Take pride in having been a part of their journey.
This summer take time to renew your mind, refresh your body, and revive that much needed desire to educate children.
–Kim Ellis, of Baytown, Texas, has been a professional educator since 1979, teaching children in elementary classrooms, adults in ENL programs, (English as a new language), and training professionals throughout the United States how to raise student achievement. Ellis has established a stellar record of educational leadership through her work with instructional leadership teams, as a peer facilitator, and implementing a campus adult literacy program. As an educational consultant for aha! Process since 1997, she most recently authored, Putting the Pieces Together, a workbook to help build students’ cognitive abilities and raise achievement through implementation of the five instructional strategies presented in the Learning Structures training.
