Summer Vacation?

(This is for all of you folks who believe that we teachers "work only nine months, have three months of vacation, and go home at 3:00 every day.") Summer vacation. I have two glorious weeks of unstructured time left before the school year begins July 29. I have relaxed and had time for my private, creative pursuits.  I finished teaching summer school at the end of June and spent a few days in the cool mountains of northern Arizona.

My mind, however, has not stopped working. I've been reading several new books - three of which are about teaching and teaching math, in particular. Oh, yeah, I finished reading a novel also. Today I am looking forward to the start of an online course I'm taking from a Stanford University professor. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a free course on teaching math. Next week I have an all-day workshop with middle school math teachers in my district.

A teacher is never really totally on vacation. With computers, the Internet, and, now, Pinterest, there are so many ways to link up, blog, and find the best of the best ideas for teachers. We are pretty much on it 24/7. Would I trade it for a 9 to 5 desk job without 140 papers to grade into the evening? No way! Although I stretch myself thin during the school year with very little free time for myself, I wouldn't trade a single moment of the last 34 years.

Retirement? I've been thinking a lot about it. Sometimes the demands of documentation and accountability to legislators just about does me in. Sit at home and find a closet to re-organize?  Nope. Not for me. As long as I look forward to those young faces, want to find new ways to reach their mathematical minds, and love shopping for school supplies, you'll find me in my classroom.

As for vacation, I'm learning to include a little vacation every day in my life. Not waiting for the big moments. Two weeks and counting...in my world, a new adventure is beginning very soon!