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This might seem like a silly question.... but how do you keep busy in the summer time?
I've been on break for about 2 weeks now and I'm already starting to feel restless. I don't have a job, don't have kids, and don't really have the money to travel... how do you keep busy?
My day-Sleep in, go for a run, shower, prep dinner, go to the beach/run errands/clean/read/pool/goof off/nap, cook dinner, family time, sleep. We also go away on short trips several times and take a vacation. If I'm really restless I'll think about planning for the next year.
Do you have a pool or gym you can use? Maybe join a book club or some other activity you might enjoy?
This might seem like a silly question.... but how do you keep busy in the summer time?
I've been on break for about 2 weeks now and I'm already starting to feel restless. I don't have a job, don't have kids, and don't really have the money to travel... how do you keep busy?
This is one of my issues with teaching. During the year you run at 110% then all of a sudden there's nothing to do. I would much rather teach in a year round school and have time during the year to have a life instead of trying to cram a life into the 10 weeks off during the summer.
I'm usually so burned out that I veg out to a netflix series for about two weeks. Then I try to rediscover old hobbies which is kind of hard since mine are playing the piano and bridge. I get rusty at both during the school year and just when I'm starting to get decent again school starts....sigh.
3.5 days! Monday is field day... Tuesday my 3rd graders go on a field trip, so I'll have time to do my cumulative folders and such. We have to turn in our laptops on the 13th so I need to remember how to hook the smart board up to the desktop. Otherwise they'll be no magic school bus time. Grades were due today, so it's busy work or bust!
Yesterday was the last day with kids and today the last teacher day. Had a full day with the kids...got some closure to the ones I will miss next year (mostly my Honors students).
Packed up the room and completed the Check-Out-Turned-Scavenger-Hunt sheet by running all over the building completing various random tasks. One of the last items was to sign off on end-of-the-year evaluation ... never had an observation ... principal showed up with the form that he said was based on what "he heard" and "students have said" and said I did a good job...I got all VG's (our scale goes I BA A VG S ... dumbest thing ever. S = superior). I made a "marked improvement" in classroom management over the "A" I got last year - mostly, I say, because it was now my 2nd year in the building and also I had my own room this year. Also, admin seems to pick on people new to the building -- experiences I had this year seemed to be placed on them instead.
I have a newfound sense of confidence knowing that I improved in an area and it was noted and praised. Nice way to end the year and think positively about next year. Still have no idea what I am teaching, even though schedules are apparently made. Of course the teachers are always the last to know!
End of year grading and trying to find a job at the same time just sucks.
I had a great interview the other day and then they asked to see my evaluation from this year.....Why does one person's opinion hold so much weight in this profession. Never mind I've been rated as effective for years. There's a new sheriff in town and several of us got handed our arses on a platter in our evals. Three of us were RIF'd. The other two people chose to retire. I can't do that. Sigh....
You know in business no one would ever see my previous evaluations. They'd talk to my old boss and that would be the end of it. I'm certain that I was given the evaluation that allowed them to lay me off. Perhaps as an example to those left behind that things like previous evals, tenure and seniority mean nothing to the new sheriff. I don't know but I didn't deserve this. I have an uphill battle on my hands.
Color me frustrated. I can't wait until this year is over and I can just concentrate on finding a job.
End of year grading and trying to find a job at the same time just sucks.
I had a great interview the other day and then they asked to see my evaluation from this year.....Why does one person's opinion hold so much weight in this profession. Never mind I've been rated as effective for years. There's a new sheriff in town and several of us got handed our arses on a platter in our evals. Three of us were RIF'd. The other two people chose to retire. I can't do that. Sigh....
You know in business no one would ever see my previous evaluations. They'd talk to my old boss and that would be the end of it. I'm certain that I was given the evaluation that allowed them to lay me off. Perhaps as an example to those left behind that things like previous evals, tenure and seniority mean nothing to the new sheriff. I don't know but I didn't deserve this. I have an uphill battle on my hands.
Color me frustrated. I can't wait until this year is over and I can just concentrate on finding a job.
Wow! I was offered a job yesterday, but it isn't the job I applied for or interviewed for. I swear this keeps happening to me. I interview for a position and they call me with another position/offer. I am trying to figure out what the do.
Anyway, I have never, never, never been asked for my review from another school or another district. I find that really strange.
Wow! I was offered a job yesterday, but it isn't the job I applied for or interviewed for. I swear this keeps happening to me. I interview for a position and they call me with another position/offer. I am trying to figure out what the do.
Anyway, I have never, never, never been asked for my review from another school or another district. I find that really strange.
I find it strange as well. This is the first time I was asked to present my previous evaluation. I really don't want to drag this to court. I spoke to an employment law attorney and he says he can win this but at $335/hour this will get expensive really fast and there is no guarantee that I will recoup my expenses. I was hoping to just find a job and let my next evaluation erase this one.
Unfortunately, Michigan has a law on the books that allows schools to ignore tenure and seniority once you are given a minimally effective evaluation and it doesn't matter how many previous years you were rated as effective. Evaluations are subjective and evaluators look for what they want to see. I'm not the only teacher who got downgraded this year. I'm just the one who also got laid off but still needs to find a job. The lay off was a downsizing. My evaluation alone would not have resulted in job loss . They didn't even hint at stripping tenure. Had I not been laid off all it would have meant was I'd get a mentor and an additional evaluation next year mid year. The lay off complicates things....it really complicates them with hiring districts suddenly asking for my last eval. I have never had that happen before and I'm scratching my head as to why it happened now.
Unfortunately, this is pretty much the only job out there right now so I have nothing to compare to. I can't believe how few postings there are this year. It certainly does not help that there is a glut of teachers in Michigan.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 06-11-2017 at 04:37 AM..
I find it strange as well. This is the first time I was asked to present my previous evaluation. I really don't want to drag this to court. I spoke to an employment law attorney and he says he can win this but at $335/hour this will get expensive really fast and there is no guarantee that I will recoup my expenses. I was hoping to just find a job and let my next evaluation erase this one.
Unfortunately, Michigan has a law on the books that allows schools to ignore tenure and seniority once you are given a minimally effective evaluation and it doesn't matter how many previous years you were rated as effective. Evaluations are subjective and evaluators look for what they want to see. I'm not the only teacher who got downgraded this year. I'm just the one who also got laid off but still needs to find a job. The lay off was a downsizing. My evaluation alone would not have resulted in job loss . They didn't even hint at stripping tenure. Had I not been laid off all it would have meant was I'd get a mentor and an additional evaluation next year mid year. The lay off complicates things....it really complicates them with hiring districts suddenly asking for my last eval. I have never had that happen before and I'm scratching my head as to why it happened now.
Unfortunately, this is pretty much the only job out there right now so I have nothing to compare to. I can't believe how few postings there are this year. It certainly does not help that there is a glut of teachers in Michigan.
Are you in any kind of position to move? There are jobs in other places.
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