Jessica: Hot Fun in the Summertime

I have two schools. First, there’s my working school. As the name suggests, it is the school where I work. It gives me paychecks and fun lunchtime conversations. I get a nice summer break from this working school.

Then, there’s my other school, the one I attend. I just finished the last of my credential courses and am now working on my master’s. This schooling sometimes feels like it will never end, which means that on good days I fancy myself the perpetual student, and on other days I call myself a glutton for punishment.

I’m entering my second summer in a row when I haven’t been truly “off” from school, due to textbook-reading and paper-writing assignments. This summer, I have the added pressure pleasure of these lovely, looming words: literature review.

A literature review is a summary presentation of the bulk of research you have done for your research project (in my case, a master’s thesis). It will likely cover some classic texts on your topic, as well as contemporary studies. The purpose of the literature review is to provide background information on your topic and demonstrate your particular project’s relevance to the world of general knowledge and usefulness.

My thesis topic focuses on parent perceptions of students with learning disabilities in Hispanic communities. I haven’t fine-tuned it from there, but that’s where I hope the literature review process will come in handy. Note the uncertainty of that statement — it means I haven’t done the literature review yet.

By this point in the summer, I could have feasibly completed my literature review. After all, my working school year came to an end in mid-June and doesn’t start up again until mid-August. There’s a lot of free time in that window. But instead, I camped, went swimming, entertained visitors, watched my cousin get married, deliberated over princess cookbook recipes with my daughter, and encouraged my son as he morphed from timid biker into full-on enthusiast. I’ve done what I’ve been assigned to do for my schooling, but nothing extra.

When the start of the school year rolls around, I’ll be burning the midnight oil at my computer, implementing lesson plans by day and critiquing peer-reviewed journal articles by night. I’ll gladly take that heavier workload a month from now, when I’m fully rested, than spread that workload out over the summer so I never even take a break.

Time management is unique to every person. Some people like to go, go, go. I can even be that person, from mid-August to mid-June. But I treasure my time outside of school, too. Summer is that time. I spend it with family, I spend it in the sun, and then I happily return to school ready to punch the turbo button.

To any researchers out there looking to study teacher perceptions of a restful break between responsibilities and obligations: Send me the informed consent. I’m all in.

Comments

[K]

Help it is my first year teaching ESE Self contained 3rd-5th graders. I have mostly boys with behavioral problems. I need a teachers guide or something, I need to know what steps to take on a daily basis. I am teaching reading, math, science, social studies and language arts. I need to make lesson plans. Please give me some websites or some step by step details on what to do. I do not have their textbooks yet.

[Cindy Kolarik]

Oh boy, do I relate!!!! I just finished my masters recently and cant believe its finally over! I certainly know how it feels to be a perpetual student and feel like it will never end! And here I am taking classes again for the 2 year license renewal! It never does end.But you sound like you got it all together! We all need our summer break! I finally begin my new career as an IS in high school and I couldnt be more terrified.

[Florence]

Jessica, you can do it! I am in the same boat--I'm working almost full-time (instead of being a teacher just yet, I work as a care provider for adults with disabilities), am in graduate school full-time doing a certification-plus-M.S. program, in a long-distance relationship, and in the fall I'll add one day a week of practicum teaching to that equation! Working with that kind of schedule is intense, but I know that both you and I can make it happen, and I feel like it's worth it to do what I love. I'm rooting for you!

[Jessica]

Rod, Beth, and Christina, Thanks for the votes of support! Jessica

[Christina]

Jessica, I couldn't agree more with your taking a break. A working life at full-steam-ahead would leave us wondering: what's left in the wake? Cheers to taking time off and restoring yourself!

[Beth Staples]

I'm all for rest and fun--especially when it's this well-deserved. Good luck with the turbo button; I'm right there with you!

[Rod]

As an administrator who began his 2011-2012 work year yesterday, but didn't report to work until today due to the last minute need for a day at the Flamingo pool, I can certainly understand your desires to enjoy your summer and then to plow, full-steam ahead, into the new school year. Best wishes to you for your a fantastic 2011-2012 school year. I look forward to this blog in the coming year.