How to stay on your “A Game” over the Summer!

Every educator looks forward to that well deserved summer break! We here at EdBrix love to see educators relax, unwind, and take the time to relish in their success. While our brains are always in go mode, we have found a way to stay on TASK this summer while also prioritizing you!

T – Time.Take time to yourself. It is important to prioritize your mental health. Some of the ways to do this are to unwind, disconnect from social media, go on a vacation, exercise, try a new hobby, or simply spend time with loved ones. When the school year starts we know how hectic it can be, so it is essential that you take the time to relax, rejuvenate, and rest. You spend the whole school year thinking about others, now this is a time to focus on YOU!

A- Assess. Congratulations on another successful school year! As educators it is key to review and assess what went well and what are some areas in which you need to advance on a deeper level. This is a great opportunity to develop new plans for the upcoming year, build on previous positive interactions, and collaborate with coworkers to share new ideas to implement in your classroom. Teachers can assess their progress from the school year through our EMS 360 using the student performance analytics feature. This feature allows teachers to monitor and assess students' learning activity with pre-built reporting capabilities. This is an excellent way to assess the skills and strategies that enabled your students to soar. Celebrate your success!

S- Simplify. As we all know teachers love to hold onto every little item in the classroom, whether that be your favorite book, poster, or coffee mug. While these items may hold a sentimental value, they are often hard to let go of. This summer is a great opportunity to declutter whether it be the storage unit you have at home, endless amounts of school supplies, or materials taking up space in your classroom. Organization is the key to simplifying both your personal and professional life. Here at EdBrix our EMS 360 has everything educators want in one place. Starting the school year with a clear mind and clean classroom will pave the way for a simple, organized, successful school year.

K-Knowledge. As educators it is important to note that we never truly stop learning. This summer is a great opportunity to stay engaged with community events, complete programs or classes that have been on your docket, or even share your success stories with other educators. As you gear up for next year, make sure to check out our collaborative lesson design feature in our EMS 360 which allows for digital collaboration, planning, content creation, and organizing your own online lesson planner. This is a great tool to use with your coworkers as you plan specific lessons for the school year with state standards and objectives. We are always looking for new opportunities to expand our learning and grow as teachers, and summer is a great time to engage in these conversations stress free! Plan to meet your colleagues at the pool, library, or local coffee shop for engaging planning conversations.  

As you sit, reflect, and enjoy endless hours of reality television to relax your minds, you can’t help but look over at the supplies and end of the year gifts that sit on your kitchen tables. We find ourselves going through these end of the year mementos and can’t help but smile at the memories that were made, the good days, the challenging days, and the children who truly made our hearts feel whole. This is why we do what we do and also why we truly deserve a summer break.           

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Additional Resources

1. American Federation of Teachers. (2017). 2017 Educator Quality of Work Life Survey. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/2017_eqwl_survey_web.pdf

2. Mader, J. (2020, August 6). As we talk about reopening schools, are the teachers ok? The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/as-we-talk-about-reopening-schools-are-the-teachers-ok/

3. Cox, A., Solomon, B., & Parris, D. (2018, May 8). Teacher well-being is a critical and often overlooked part of school health. https://www.childtrends.org/blog/teacher-well-being-is-a-critical-and-often-overlooked-part-of-school-health

4. Seppala, E. (2012). How the stress of disaster brings people together. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-stress-of-disaster-brings-people-together/

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