Five "R" Things to Do This Summer.... Recover, Rejuvenate, Reflect, Renew, Rejoice...





Hello Friends,

I am one of the lucky ones who have been out of school for a couple of weeks now.  For those of you who are still in school, hang in there; the end is in sight and then you will be able to finally take that long breath and relax!


1.


This is something we ALL have to do.... The end of the school year is CRAZY! End of year reports, assessments, grade level meetings, packing, purging, and on top of all this, we continue to teach... So energy draining..... It is with a sigh of relief (and sometimes tears) that we close the doors of our classroom and walk away. It takes me a few days to recover and decompress from the busy last days of school. I want you to know that it is OKAY to sleep late (if you can) and spend the afternoon reading,  binge movie watching, or sitting by the pool/beach. Give yourself this time to recover for a few days and NO guilt... it's okay.... Take deep breaths and enjoy....


2. 

When I am in the midst of school, that is exactly what my life is - school. Most of the free time that I have in the evenings and weekends is spent on school activities. I am writing/revising lesson plans, creating book packets, researching new ways to reach those students that need a different plan for learning, printing, copying..... and although as a kindergarten teacher, I do not bring papers home to grade, many of you do. Besides keeping up with my school duties, my FIRST commitment is to my family, so AFTER the time I spend with my family, my free time is once again filled with things that need to be done for the following school day. Don't get me wrong.... I LOVE everything that I do and it is my choice to do what I do. BUT, because of my choices, many things that are on my "to do" list are pushed to the bottom during the school year. When the last day of school is over and I have RECOVERED for a few days, it is now time for me to rejuvenate. Rejuvenating to me means to CLEANSE..... I clean out closets. I purge and take clothes and things to Goodwill. I organize my kitchen cabinets..... I READ and READ and READ. I do not get enough time in the school year to just take the time to curl up with a good book......This is the time to do something for yourself... like get a pedicure.... ahh... REJUVENATE, my friends... unwind.........


3.


One of the many wonderful things about teaching is that we are given the opportunity to REFLECT each year on the previous year; keeping things that worked and making changes to things that did not. In my school, we are required to fill out a personal goal sheet at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year, we are then required to reflect upon our goal statement; writing what worked and what did not. Even though, I will often grumble about "one more thing" to add to my list, I actually am glad to have this opportunity to reflect upon the year. This year, my goal was to add more STEM challenges to our science curriculum. I think that I did an okay job, but plan to make this my goal again next year.



3. 

This is a big one for me...... Besides reflecting on the previous year, I spend time in the summer renewing and revising; both in my classroom and in my home. If you are regular reader of my blog, you know that I LOVE my flowers. I can spend hours and hours in my garden. My spirit and mind is RENEWED each year as I wake up my beauties and say "hello."



 I also LOVE working in our school garden - creating a space for the Monarch butterflies that have become annual visitors.



 I think this is a time for us to do something NOT teaching related. I am not an artist, but I do enjoy playing around with watercolors. I plan to get my paints out and relax for a few hours playing around with the fun colors.

 5.

Finally.... REJOICE! I am blessed to have been given the talent to be a teacher. I am blessed to be able to share my faith with my little ones. I am blessed to have my health. I am blessed to be the wife and Mom of some pretty great people. I am blessed to have some amazing friends and colleagues. I am blessed to have this opportunity to recover, rejuvenate, reflect, renew, and REJOICE in all I have been given.


Enjoy the summer, my friends! CHEERS!


Until next time...
Blessings,



9 comments

  1. What a wonderful post. Thank you! Your garden is absolutely lovely. I would rejoice in saying hello to those beauties.

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    1. Thank you, Kristine! I love my garden and although, there it continues to be a work in progress, it brings me much joy.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Great post! I plan to spend this weekend recovering!

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    1. Yes! Recover and don't feel one bit of guilt about it! You deserve it in every way!

      Enjoy your "recovery" time!

      Blessings,
      Cindy

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  3. Love this post!! I felt like the part you wrote about rejuvenate was all about me!! I am just like that! The five R's were a great read and I will do exactly that!! Thanks so much!! Linda's Learning Loot

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    1. I know... rejuvenate can mean different things for so many people. I feel ready to face new things when I have my house in order. Rejuvenation is a great feeling!

      Thanks for commenting!

      Cindy

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  4. I love your 5 R's. They are absolutely true! Thanks!!
    Lindsay
    Word Walls & Wanderlust

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  5. This is so important to remember every year! We put so much time and effort into our jobs during the school year and we NEED the summer to recover, rejuvenate, reflect, renew, and rejoice. Enjoy your summer!

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    1. Enjoy your summer as well! Recover first; then dive right in!

      Blessings,
      Cindy

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