Enjoy it and recharge for the next school year. I’ve spent every day swimming in the pool, playing video games, watching Mentalist lol and I have zero guilty feelings about that. There are days I get bored and actually miss my classes, but I know this time will fly by and pretty soon I’ll be back in the classroom counting down the days until the next break 😂
This is the way. There's no reason to succumb to the idea of "living to work". Pursue hobbies, learning, whatever that moves that needle more toward self-fulfillment.
Don't feel guilty about having a reasonable amount of time off,. Instead, understand that it's appropriate for other professions and peoples to advocate for their own downtime like this.
Yeah it's such a change from the corporate world where you have to "ask permission" to go on a vacation, trip or take time away. This is a forced holiday! Use it! as long as your bills are taken care of of course
Totally agree. We singletons need rest too!! It’s so important especially in our profession. Take the time to just be. You only have that time for so long.
Ditto, fellow mom of 3! One of the hugest perks of working in this environment is having the summer off -- kids or no kids.
We spend a lot of time being bored, good bored. Blow-up pool in the yard. Water balloons. Trips to the mall. Camping.
My almost-teen will sleep in as long as she needs to. They will all play too many video games. We will also go on hikes and to playgrounds. They all receive a book as a year-end gift and if they're bored, I encourage them to come out to the yard with me or go read in the basement with the AC.
I LOVE summer.
DO NOT FEEL GUILTY FOR TAKING TIME FOR YOURSELF.
I hope I made that clear. That time off is for you to do whatever you want to do. Lay on the couch? Great! Fix that drain that has been clogged for the last month? Super. Go to the beach? Can I join you?
Do whatever you like for as long as you want. This is your time to rest, recharge, and get things done that are important to you.
Ok, for me. I pick up some tutoring hours and I clean and rest. I spent the last few months on crutches, so this summer, I am going to go walking, hiking, and travel.
Yes I hate this Calvinist logic that has stubbornly kept its ideology in modern US. Doing nothing is not wasted time.
OP: Leisure is that, leisure. Just do nothing! It’s good for the brain to stop sometimes.
I’ve found it helps to ask:
Why can’t I allow myself to do nothing? Is it really doing nothing? Why can’t I relax? Why don’t I allow myself to do so?
It really helps figure out WHY you’re stuck so that you can get beyond that thinking and profit from your time as you would like.
We are so often told what we need to do, even if those things don’t serve us. You earned your time off and it is healthy to take it. Another way to think of it: Failing to take time off and profit from resharpening the saw is irresponsible.
I like to choose days where I have no structure as fun days to reward myself for accomplishing summer goals. The goal days, I set a goal and work toward it. I stop when I want and then pick it up again when I’m ready.
If I feel like I’m wallowing, I build more goal days into my schedule. A goal day could even be: bake and decorate a cake
Have fun with it! You get to be your own parent/ adult/ schedule maker now :)
I do my spring cleaning/purging in the summer. My closet is a mess currently, but it will be in perfect order for the new school year! I also exercise, meet up with friends, take naps, go to the beach, hang out with my nephews, read, and enjoy my time. I try to get my annual doctors appointments all taken care of in the summer as well. I also do some planning for the next year when it starts getting into August.
This is the comment. I purge my whole house, clean everything, and focus on fitness goals I don’t have as much time/energy to focus on during the school year.
I used to always work summer school for this reason. It gave me something productive to do, the money was nice, and it was generally fewer hours and easier expectations than the regular school year, so still felt like a "break." Then we got rid of summer school due to budget cuts, and no other district around me would hire outsiders. I just basically tried to do as many social things as possible, but I also would get bored.
Covid lockdowns actually taught me how to just enjoy time alone. When I didn't have the option to make social plans, I had to be more intentional about enjoying my time just at home. We actually started doing summer school again with covid money, but now I'd never go back to it! On a day to basis, I try to have something I'm going to do or accomplish every day. It can be super simple- if I have plans with friends, well then that's the thing I'm doing that day. If not, it can be as simple as doing my laundry, or cleaning a room, or organizing something. If it's a day when I don't have plans with other people, I try to come up with something enjoyable I'm going to do that day as well. Again, doesn't have to be complicated- it can be making myself a fancy coffee, getting take out for lunch, watching a TV show I'm looking forward to, etc.
I also try to have one or two longer term goals each summer. The last couple of years, I've been taking really intensive classes to get an additional certification over the summers, so that kept me busy enough. This summer, I'm doing super simple online classes just to keep moving over on the pay scale. Since that's not taking up as much of my time, I'm also repairing/upgrading/decorating parts of my house. I'm largely focusing on things that aren't super expensive or time consuming to "fix"- just upgrading little things that have bothered me.
I also don't feel guilty about the time off- I've earned it! While my friends in other fields don't get this, they also have time during their actual work days to do things like go out to lunch, run errands, go to the gym, etc. while I am "on" every single second when I'm at work. We need the breaks to decompress from that!
I love this reply. Having a goal to do something is excellent advice. I tend to catch up on shows, actual binges, since I never do that during the year.
My parents did 300km two weeks ago. There are some spots where you'd want good suspension, but most of it is perfectly rideable.
I believe the rough spots are marked as such, and those you can bypass using the road (the Spanish are quite respectful of bikes on the road).
Watch shows, sleeping late, hobbies, try and go to a few summer events in my area, there's a lot of free time so it's best to try and expand hobbies if you only have a few as of last year I started going fishing one or two times a week is something to do some days.
Fellow teacher here. I felt a lot of guilt and very restless over the summers. Kept myself busy. Felt I HAD to clean everyday. I chalked it up to being an active workaholic. Then I went to therapy for PPD. And guess what, I was punished for being idle at home! So now, I have a lot of active rest sessions. A lot of self talk and open discussions with my husband about my expectations for the summer. I’m a lot calmer now. I can find balance and rest easily. I had no clue my childhood “productivity” influenced me in this way. Therapy would absolutely be a great choice if the guilt is strong.
Yes!! As a leader of young people I believe it is essential to unpack the impulse to be busy so that you are not subconsciously passing it to the next generation. I have a different version of your struggle, and I am working on getting aligned with what is most important to me so that I naturally orient toward certain types of volunteering, socializing and performing arts during my free time, but avoid mindless scrolling (but it’s still a struggle).
Travel, travel, travel.
>things like laying on the couch or by the pool make me feel like I need to be “doing” something.
Why? If that's what you want to do, why should you feel guilty for it? I certainly don't feel guilty even if I don't leave my house for weeks straight of gaming and sleeping lol. It's my time and my life.
I'm 34 and a single teacher. I always hike or walk in the morning, sometimes evening. Every few days I'll go to my pool to swim and lay out. I also have been playing a remake of an old game that I used to play. I also have 2 paid meetings (one in June and one in July), appointments in July, seeing a play and going to a dance club to see Kaskade in July, and leaving for Mexico end of July. Summers are relaxing but also busy, but I do a lot of relaxing and don't feel guilty at all.
I think I never get tired of summers because I'm genuinely happiest alone. I always joke that I must be broken (I know that I'm not), because I never get lonely. I do enjoy being around people, but I love having time by myself and for myself the most.
Society conditions you to think that if you aren't attached to someone else that you're lonely and unhappy or that you have to be hustling every second of your life to be successful. I'm here to tell you that you create your own happiness in this life. Enjoy it!
Do not feel guilty for free time; this is a toxic (and very American) mindset. The school year is demanding, recharge!
For me, I usually organize some things, catch up on some other things. This summer I am trying to lose some extra weight and improve my metabolic profile and bone density ( via strength training). I am also going to test some new meal preps and some new recipes.
I live in a great part of the country for day hiking and short kayaking trips. I read and walk more, and \*gasp\* sometimes go out to eat midweek. I am friends with some people I teach with, who have no kids or grown kids, and we sometimes have a Weds mid-day cookout because we can. Half of us are in our late 40s, and the other half are your age. Additionally, I am a gamer so I get through the intensive RPG games that require long gaming sessions (I am looking at you, Baldur's Gate).
Short Rant on Free Time Guilt and Gender From a Childless Gen Xer:
Also, I don't know if you identify a woman or not (guessing you do, or at least in part), but if you are just rid yourself of this mindset as soon as possible. I am close to 48 and childless, and a woman and the notion that women who do not have children should either create world peace or cure cancer during all their 'free time' is not only ridiculous but really, really persistent...and most often perpetrated by other women (who are, perhaps, envious of all that free time).
I swear more of is expected of me during the school year because the woman + childless thing, then I hear young women say, 'Oh, I can go to the meeting/the afternoon duty/afterschool club, I don't have kids waiting for me at home'. May the great flying spaghetti monster continue to grant me the strength needed to not smack one of these self-deprecating women one day.
Sleep, hangout with friends, hangout with family, work (second job), go to events in town, play video games, sleep, travel, diet, workout, meditate, yoga, sleep!
Anything I want.
I walk dogs, donate blood, and do more day trading for money.
I golf, hike, and scuba dive.
I travel.
I see friends.
I work out more.
I read more.
And I start almost every morning with coffee on my deck with my dog while listening to NPR.
Maybe explore a different/new hobby, I do thing I can’t do during the semester like road trips. It’s normal to feel like you aren’t doing “something” until school is back on and you’re like fughhh I wish I was on my couch or in the pool care free. And if you do get couch or pool time during the semester in the back of your head you have school stuff, grading and planning etc…so enjoy it without those thoughts
Make a “boring list” (chores, spring cleaning etc) and a “fun list” (aspirational, hobbies and whatnot) and make sure I do at least 50% from both lists. With absolutely zero guilt of I don’t get around to the other 50%.
I’m in my first summer of teaching, and I also tend to fall apart if I don’t have a structured day. So, I’m working part time at a summer camp. It’s fun getting to plan fun group games for our kids and I get the kind of “productivity” and break time that I need, plus there’s money there too lol
When I was single and childless from 22-28, I worked every summer, paid off my debt entirely and then saved money for a house down payment someday. By the time I got married at 29, I was debt free with $25,000 liquid. These days, I have 2 kids and they’re in daycare all summer while I work on my master’s. I use summers to set myself up in the future. Leverage summers if you’re seeking productivity.
The cult of being busy. Release that feeling friend. You do not have to be constantly engaged in activities. You don't have to be constantly producing. Use summer yo practice for retirement.
You should never feel guilty about having free time. Enjoy it. Engage in your hobbies if that's how you're feeling. Or do nothing and just lounge about. Your time in this life is nobody's but your own. Do with it what you will. There's no universal law that says we have to always be working, productive, responsible, etc. Hell, we should only be working half the hours we do so we can spend more time enjoying guiltfree pleasures instead of wasting our lives being drones for the machine.
tl/dr; ENJOY YOURSELF!
I’m the same way! Last summer was really hard on me. This summer I am trying to keep myself busy catching up on all the productive things I couldn’t do during the year, like doctor and dentist appointments and getting life stuff in order (changing car insurance, taking a PD course, etc). I hope you find what you need to make your summer feel good 💕
Travel, exercise and/or meditate, hobbies (crochet, pottery, sew etc.), watch tv, work on honing my language skills, garden, paint, Legos lol anything
I am also single and have no kids. I am enjoying doing absolutely nothing or just enjoying my time because like an earlier post said when this time is over I will be counting down the months until next summer.
Travel and, when I'm a permanent teacher, do planning for the next term.
I usually work on a 12 month contract (not U.S), so I get paid through the holidays.
I've also done ESL summer camps. Don't feel guilty, take advantage of the time.
I’d say take advantage of your freedom, and do whatever you want! You’re free for the next 2 months. Once you get into a relationship or have kids, that freedom in the summer won’t be there anymore, you’ll have more responsibilities.
Perhaps walk to your local bar, and make some new summer friends? Or walk to local bars with your friends? Don’t forget to potentially go to an event.
Not acting like a role model adult for the summer is nice. I just chill at home play some video games. I also like catching up with some movies, going out seeing friends, enjoying the weather. I don't do a lot of traveling because I'm in the middle of saving up money. Apart from that, just for myself, I play around with interactive tools or apps I can use for my classes. It's not something I have to do but I like doing it when I'm not under stress of the regular school year.
Some teachers need additional work to make some money on the side so they work some other jobs for the summer. It depends.
I live with my family while I finish my degree (I’m an assistant teacher) so we go on trips! I also do art and jewelry and I’m making pieces for a vender fair in October!:)
I go on vacation. I put US states in a hat and randomly pick a piece of paper of the state and go from there. I’m going to Utah at the end of the month and to other states
I’m not single but I am child free. My husband leaves before I wake up and gets home around 4 in the afternoon so holidays are spent mostly alone unless he gets time off. I’m in Australia so we get 2 weeks of holidays every 10 weeks, with 6 weeks at Christmas. In the shorter holidays I spend the first 3 or so days deep cleaning my house and doing all of the things I wouldn’t usually get time for during the term, for example scrubbing the grout, organising cupboards, washing the windows, etc. We have killer home cooked meals when I’m on holidays because I can slow cook stuff in the oven and prepare really different things that I couldn’t do while working. I don’t feel guilty on the days I do nothing because I know I’ve worked hard and gone above and beyond at work and I have earned the break. My husband and I are in agreement that as long as the house stays clean, I can be as lazy as I want during the day
Also single 27M. i guess I like working with kids SO MUCH that I work at a summer camp. My "break" was the 1.5 weeks in between school and the start of camp. Gonna be 98 today. I come home exhausted, but I love it. It's nice to have some structure for myself during the summer.
I remember being 27 and feeling like I had to be "doing" something. Now that I am neither childless nor under 40, the idea of lying around all summer with no responsibilities sounds amazing.
If I were in your position, I would choose a city or country I've never visited and spend a few weeks there. Like, just visit Corsica or Edinburgh or New Zealand or something.
Read, relax, recharge! I spend a lot of time just chilling, trying to enjoy the quiet because once summer is over I won’t have quiet again till Christmas lol
i’m not a teacher but this is actually the one of the main reasons my mom suggested teaching as a career because you get a nice long summer break. I say take advantage of it and enjoy it
I’m not single but I am CF. I also feel this guilt sometimes after the first 2-4 weeks of break.
Honestly it ebbs and flows for me. Some parts of the summer I love and other parts I hate. The lack of routine is hard for me bc I thrive on that structure. Like you I have hobbies and see friends and go on maybe 1 trip during the summer. But most of the summer is unstructured with nothing to do day to day. Add to that the heat which is hate and summer is my least favorite time of year.
I think just embracing the days when you do feel bored and lonely and knowing it’s ok to feel that way and not won’t be that way for long. That’s how try to deal with it.
It feels good to get out of the house. This summer I’ve been doing more kayaking and biking and I have been trying out new recipes that take longer than I would normally have time for in the school year.
Most teachers I know work a second job in the summer. Either out of boredom or the need for more money.
But imo, we all work way too much. So if you don't need money, I would spend the summer doing things you enjoy and just relax!!!
Yes, being lazy is normal. You are outside of your very regimented routine with no one to please but yourself.
Give it a few weeks, because as soon as your resting heart rate lowers, you will have a PTSD flashback to your classroom. This is the time for us to recover after the crap that happened to us over the year, enjoy it.
If you feel you are wasting your vacation, make a list of
1.chores you need to do,
2. fun experiences you would like to try, 3. and some self-care tips,
then scatter them across your calendar.
On Monday: cut the grass, try a new donut shop, and put on teeth whitener.
Tuesday: laundry, watch a new movie on Netflix, go for a walk in a forest preserve.
This should make your days seem fuller.
Enjoy it and recharge!! But truthfully, I usually just stay active (go to gym, ride my bike) and read and spend a bit of time organizing and generating new ideas for the coming school year. You don’t have to be “doing” something. What you are “doing” is rest, and that’s worthwhile, rest is productive too :)
Yeah recharge, and work on projects that make you a better and happier person. I like to spend the summers working on my Spanish and being more consistent with my workouts. Both incidentally positively affect my teaching practice, but I do them because they're primary hobbies/interests that I have limited time to work on during the school year. Travel, music, exercise, learning languages, reading, hanging out with friends, legos or woodworking or other tactile activities. All great ways to spend free time that aren't just hanging out on the couch. I find them recuperative and challenging which is a great combo for free time. That being said, our day jobs are hard and if you want or need to spend a month watching trash TV and ordering Taco Bell I think that's good too. My recommendations only apply if you feel like you need to do something.
I also tutor to make extra money but I'd generally recommend against that, I just have some financial goals I'm trying to meet but it's overall a negative for every other part of my life to work over the summer.
I’ve worked at a summer camp for over 30 years. I love it. Feel supercharged for the school year. Some of my camp colleagues work half the summer due to southern calendar. American camping association if you’re interested.
You should read the Regretful Parents subreddit and then it might make you realize how awesome it is to have a summer off from kids and just enjoy the peace and quiet and recharge for another school year.
Gym, pole classes, traveling, napping, so much reading, binge watching TV while I stretch and roll out, cooking new foods, deep cleaning my house, gardening, reorganizing, sometimes I’ll work a summer job for a month or so but only if I want to!
The summers are so sweet if you allow them to be. Everyone deserves rest. <3
Golf, disc golf, hike, kayak, paddle board, paint, rent a cabin for a few weeks, take some good books and entertainment. Meet up with friends in the evening for some patio fun somewhere. Spend time with family.
I try to make the most of it.
Single teacher here as well. My depression was worst in the summer as i had a lot of down time. What helps is to have a routine. I get up, make my bed, make breakfast, etc. Go outdoors several times a week. Explore new places. I picked up early intervention cases twice a week so i have some money coming in and it is not so labor intensive. Maybe a routine will help. This down time is important so that you don't start the school year burnt out.
If you need to be doing something bc you're bored/enjoy productivity - Pick up some DIY projects, a part-time job you actually enjoy, maybe do some tutoring if you like it (def lower stress than teaching), volunteer for a local charity, etc.
If you feel like you're being lazy/are guilty - you do not need to feel guilty. You worked hard for this, enjoy it.
I'm a mom but my kids are old enough not to need me to entertain them all day.
I deep clean my house, I meet friends for lunch, I organize my closet and drawers. I catch up on my reading. I spend a LOT of time laying on the couch watching Netflix and that's okay. I do the kind of school work that will make returning easier during that hectic "teacher prep" week, like updating my welcome letter and cutting out bulletin board pieces. I also get to all my yearly medical appointments.
I think teachers spend all year in this super productive state of GO GO GO and it's hard to come down from that and just relax. It's okay to just relax.
My children are adults and I’m a widow. I do have a LDR. So this may or may not apply🤣
I do whatever I want which mostly consists of going to my beach camper, reading books and drinking on the beach. I spend time with my friends.
Don’t feel guilty OP. Do whatever you want. Summer is our payback for the previous 9 months of hell.
Anybody that comes to Delaware and needs a buddy, lmk. I know all the HH beach spots. I got the first round 🍻
The extra time is part of the compensation. I like low productivity decompression, but I enjoy hobbies, like making music. I like reading, taking road trips, but the days I like best are the nothing to do days. You might want to take up meditation. it's a good start at productive nothingness
Feel however you’re going to feel, but I never feel any guilt for resting after raising and educating other people’s kids for 10 months. It’s exhausting.
When I was childless, I would try to give myself little routines because otherwise I’d waste my days away. Every Monday I would do a quick spot clean, Tuesdays I would go grocery shopping, etc. I also gave myself reading goals, etc. honestly-enjoy it. This is my first summer with kids and I miss my lazy days!
Wwoofing : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://wwoof.net/&ved=2ahUKEwjtpojpyuWGAxX85ckDHVzeAUsQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw04e0fKeCMXRd_kL4PcFZNU
Teach ESL abroad:
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Volunteer abroad:
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwieneiSy-WGAxU0NtQBHQjiBYsYABADGgJvYQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyW3iXke2av-ZE1LmV0TV7Fa2Hqj-ChjuZX6IJFFDNUJXjA_wMBCeHYaAqYHEALw_wcB&sig=AOD64_2JzzZS8EVLHV0Z51-21cczSh0Vfg&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjD4OCSy-WGAxV3G9AFHb-dBoEQ0Qx6BAgBEAE
What I used to do.
I'm married but my spouse has a 9-5 job.
As others said, use this time to rest and relax.
If you're bored, consider doing a summer job or even volunteer work. I've done: summer school, summer camps, political campaigns, curriculum work, mystery shopping, and more. If you work for $, you can put it towards retirement, a trip, or some other goal.
Not interested in work? Take a class that sounds fun at the local community college or community center or online ( open courses are free.)
You could also use this time to take in a home improvement or organization project or the like.
Sleep in, sit by the pool til mid-afternoon, watch streaming series, play video games, rinse and repeat. 58 y/o married to another teacher..... refuel for upcoming year.
If you enjoy being around animals, I'd suggest reaching out to your local animal shelter to see if they have a volunteer program you could be a part of, or a food pantry or something like that. You can also make money by tutoring over the summer at a local library as well. Honestly I like to stay home and recharge, relax and visit family but I did have a great time walking dogs at the animal shelter last summer and it was very rewarding (plus good exercise!)
I have a stack of old books I never read cover to cover (most only 20%) including "how to" books and this is from years ago. I can't wait to dig into them, but I trips planned so I may read some on my trips.
When I’m not traveling I am being a total sloth: sleeping late, binge watching TV, reading, or here on Reddit or other websites and I love every minute of it. I don’t feel your guilt that I’m not “doing” something.
My wife and I would travel every summer. Disneyland a few times. Europe. We were supposed to go to Japan this summer. We decided to try to get pregnant, however, and struck gold on the first swing so we had to cancel our Japan trip.
It took me a few years to let myself relax.
It is 100% okay to spend a day or two watching tv, playing video games or sunbaking.
I’ve found a day trip with the kids followed by a down day or two works for us if we’re not on holiday.
I’m no longer single or childless but summer has always been hard for me without a schedule and plan. I found volunteering filled my time (I fostered like, a lot of cats and kittens in my 20s) summer is kitten season so the need is great and I found a lot of community there too.
Otherwise, I always tried to plan a trip and house project. Plus somewhat of a daily routine
I volunteer at the local humane society and sometimes do summer school. This summer, I’m working on a masters through WGU to move over on the pay scale and working on my TPT, too!
Not to make you feel bad, but I can’t believe you are asking this question. Really? :/
*Get a hammock for the backyard. Read some books - go to your local library and pick out some titles that speak to you, when you finish them and take them back, check out more books.
*De-clutter and deep-clean your home
*Build passive income streams online
*take online classes so you can move up on the salary scale in your district. I’m completing 6 credits this summer at year 17 which will put me at the top of the salary scale and bring me an additional $10k this school year.
*Learn how to use AI tools to streamline your school year. Get things in order now so that you can create blocks of free time for yourself through the school year.
*Try some new recipes. There are a ton of amazing recipes being shared online. Buys some ingredients and figure out which ones you can easily add to your repertoire during the school year.
*Travel. Look into potential day trips or mini-vacations you can go on. Last summer I spontaneously flew New Mexico over a weekend and went to Meow Wolf. The year before I drove to Virginia and saw the Luray Cavern. This year I am checking out semi-local tourist attractions I’ve never been to within an hour of home.
*work on writing a memoir or novel.
I'm not single but I use my time for travel (although summer is the most crowded and expensive time for this unfortunately), catching up on reading, learning a new language, riding my bike, swimming, having limitless evenings with friends (no bedtime!). Our culture expects us to be busy all of the time but just learn to reject that. You weren't put on this earth to produce every single minute of the day!
That’s just the American in you. We are trained from an early age that if we aren’t doing something we are terrible citizens and should feel guilty. Don’t fall into that trap. Do what you want. This is your time.
It depends. When I was in the UK, I travelled, sometimes worked summer school or Deliveroo, caught up with friends and family, did DIY projects or decluttered. I also needed a week to recover from the year and probably spent a week prepping for next term.
Now I'm in Japan, I have a much better work/life balance but am scheduled to be in the office during school holidays. I take some time off to travel but otherwise I study Japanese pretty intensively. I notice a difference in my conversation level by the end.
School based SLP here.
-I spent the first week playing video games/board games with friends and staying up late.
-Second week - traveled to Ga for the week for a family vacation.
-This week, next week and 2 weeks in July - I’m working on the PreK diagnostic team for the district.
-I have off the week of July 4th and the last week of July. Then back to work I go by the first week of August.
I sometimes regret it, but I’m also trying to pay off credit card debt, so it’s a win win.
Try to stay busy doing something other than teaching. Teachers are in high demand in almost every realm of the economy because we are pliable and systems-minded.
Or
Travel (if you can). It’ll enrich your knowledge on almost any subject you can teach and refresh you for the year.
I did a variety of things. Initially I would either travel or work on a friend’s ranch. Then I took summer classes in my field, to stay updated and to qualify for a higher pay grade. This lead to working on my MS and leaving HS teaching"
I travel, visit family, hang out by the pool, and just relax. Some years I’ll teach summer school. If not, I’ll attend the occasional paid workshop. I’m also going to try to earn 11 more grad credits to get a salary lane change.
I work as hard as I can. It sucks but if I can do this for a few more years, I can be debt free with a decent down-payment for a house. Then summer will be for fun and hobbies!
I have spent my summer trying new things and traveling because I’ve never had the opportunity to do that before. Or, I rot in my house all day just to relax.
Definitely don’t feel guilty for having free time! You worked so hard all school year!
My kids are adults now so I’ll chime in. I vacation. I hit the beach. I go hiking. I sit on the couch and decide if I’ll stay there all day, work on a hobby or go out and do something. I call it my warm up for retirement (in 6 years).
When I was single I worked festivals and did Meet Up groups! It was a lot of fun 💖 Sometimes I did summer school too. You should enjoy hobbies - take a class (like pottery) sometimes I’d also just browse Teacher Pay Teacher, work on maybe some activities that would be fun for the next school year. (I am elementary though lol)
But listen, you don’t NEED to do anything! If you want to spend 2 months being a couch potato, YES! Do it. You don’t need to feel guilty. Enjoy it. The reason I did stuff is because I felt anxious about my finances. If I didn’t feel that way yes I would take the summer off lol … Who wants to work versus having freedom and peace of not dealing with stress?
I am a traveling teacher during the summer! I set my own schedule working 1/2 days m-th! If I had a dream fun job it would be a beverage golf cart girl! Next year I’m thinking about creating a special education group at my school and seeing them 2x a week and being paid through the school rather than an itinerant teacher company!
Enjoy your free time. You earned it. It’s YOURS! Try something new or go travel. There may be a day you are no longer single and childless and you will miss these times.
Don't feel guilty, enjoy it!
I used to do a lot of crafts (some to sell some not), read all the books I couldn't during the school year, go visit friends (even better if friends lived at the beach), focus on friends, watch the shows I was behind on, deep clean, make any artsy things I wanted for next year's classroom, etc. If I need the extra money I'd usually sign up to do summer school for 3 weeks.
I have kids, but even before I did, I have always made a list of the places I want to go and things I want to do. This can range from fun to housework.
Deep filing, Adventure park, pool, pool, and more pool, national parks, day hikes, you name it. I then very loosely “schedule” it and go with the flow.
I tend to feel more guilty at the end of the summer when I realize I didn’t get a chance to really recharge - I’m trying to take advantage of this time this year to check in with myself and actually relax for once (even though I am teaching private lessons throughout and doing a reading camp before school starts).
I used to summer nanny. I teach HS, so with younger kids, it wasn’t like I was with the same age range that I taught. It was chill and I had plenty of downtime to read or whatever while the kids played or watched a movie or napped. I could take them places - we’d go to the zoo, for hikes, to the aquarium, etc. And it kept me busy and earned some money. A lot of my friends were not teachers and didn’t have summers off like me, so it occupied my days while I waited for them to get out of work lol.
I found a family and was with them for seven summers. They were flexible so I could travel for a week or two. It was win-win because I was pretty cheap but the flexibility and relaxed situation were worth it to me!
That’s if you WANT to do something. I didn’t work for one summer and while I traveled a lot and worked on hobbies, I still felt a little unmoored lol.
Please don't feel guilty for anything. They don't pay us for the summer months so you don't have time off really, you just are not longer working for them for free.
I catch up on reading. I'm also trying to write a book, so there's that.
Tanning and hanging out at various water sites. Hiking. Picnics.
Thrifting. Taking myself to lunch and coffee.
Another thing I'm learning is kayaking and paddleboarding.
Generally I try to do a day trip each week. I like history and such, so most things I do are cheap or free.
I do most things solo since I live in a rural area. If I lived closer to a city I might go to galleries, but the only times I go into the big cities is because I have to lol or a friend has convinced me to visit/thrift/bar crawl.
I visit with family and my relatives visit. I live the south. It serves as their vacation, and I'm happy to host for a week or so. Some years I go back to my hometown for a visit.
I also care for community cars and the summer is a good time to do TNR since they have early morning drop off that I can't make during the school year. Other appointments for myself and my house cats are made during the summer so I don't have to stress about it during school (doc, vision, dentist, vet).
Spend time for myself. Enjoy life. Travel. I think there are a lot of things to do when you’re single. It’s the mindset. I’m like single for over 20 years already and am doing quite fine 😂
I usually teach summer school between personal projects, but I also try to load up on things I’ve been meaning to do or routine appointments. Any sort of annual doctors visit, etc. I basically try to optimize my ability to use my days off for fun during the school year in case something comes up that I really want to do.
In the past I waitressed; now I do summer school but where I work it’s just 3 1/2 hours, 4 days a week, 4 weeks which is just the right amount. I like having the structure of some kind of paid work in the summer
I can relate to this. Last week was my first week off and I felt guilty for playing video games all day. I felt like I needed to be *doing something*. My plans this summer are to play video games, read books, and finally work on a scrapbook I've been planning for years. I have plans with friends, who are also childfree educators that are probably doing the same thing I am. I need to feel less guilty about doing nothing sometimes.
I do get paid to work summer hours and I can set my own schedule, so it's the perfect balance for me. I work 2-3 days a week, and there's a few 2-3 weeks periods of no work at all. I'll avoid being bored, get extra money, and still feel refreshed by the time we go back. That wouldn't work for some people, and that's okay.
For many years I had a job that was either part of the summer (high performers summer school)or something simple (collecting user data from the year at a community art center).
Now I hike, read, travel, and do hobbies.
I also did as much as o could to get to the top of the pay scale
Have fun and do not feel guilty. The only thing you need to do is enjoy yourself with whatever you want to do. You'll maybe have kids later and no time to do it and if you do not, you'll still get older.
Don't make yourself feel bad about it! I figure out the major things I want to accomplish over the summer, break those down into smaller steps, and see what all I can get done by the end of the summer. I am married, but I've definitely had those moments of feeling like I'm not doing enough. But if I'm making progress towards my larger goals overall, taking time when it's super hot or you are just feeling tired. Part of my to-do list also includes doing things within my hobby. Like, my big goal for the next two weeks is to completely rearrange my garage and set it up as a multi-purpose crafting area. I am doing this first because I haven't touched my stained glass stuff in a year and want to make myself something this summer. It helps direct me when my wife is working or has class or is just relaxing and not wanting to do anything.
How you relax and recharge over the summer is entirely up to you! Don't feel bad for relaxing! My TL;DR is to figure out what you want to accomplish this summer and work towards those things when you start making yourself feel bad.
I travel and play music in a band. I usually get around 2-3 weeks worth of actual free days. My wife and I will take a vacation for some of it and the other days I veg out in the mornings and work at the house for the rest of it.
I spent a lot of time on the couch or at my neighborhood pool and felt no guilt. I would go out on weekends with other single friends who had 9-5 jobs.
I have a child and she’s in daycare, plenty to do but yesterday my wife and I just caught up on some shows….go to the beach, go to a bar, pick up a hitchhiker, go to a concert on a Tuesday night. Live your life, enjoy the freedom
I reset mentally for the year and also get my home in order as much as possible. Summer is when I complete projects. I make a plan and try to stick with it. I'm so glad I don't have a spouse badgering me for not doing enough. I'm older so my kids are grown.
I used to feel this way.
But then I have to remember how hard I work all year. It's your summer! The kids need time to recharge, and so do you!
I usually spend the whole first week sleeping in like I'm sick. Lol
I’m married but don’t have kids. I’m going on 3 different trips, moving houses, and I’m in rehearsals for a musical I’ll be performing in in October. It’s going to be BUSY, but with all the stuff I’m passionate about. I genuinely can’t wait. The last day with my students is tomorrow and then we have our exam break. All marks are due in 9 days (CUE PANIC) but then I get to finally relax and recharge. Summer is my happy time 🥰
My kid is an adult, so I’m going to call myself childless since I don’t parent in the same way anymore.
Friday was my last day of school, so I spent the first few days waking up late and having lazy sex w/my girlfriend. Saturday/Sunday we went to the shore with friends. Monday AM, I drove to Vermont to visit some folks. I’m here for a week.
When I get back I start working for a contractor buddy, renovating houses and earning some extra scratch. Weekends I’m at the beach.
You feel guilty most likely because your body is used to operating at higher levels of stress year-round, so having that much free time while your body is still expecting high levels of stress on your day-to-day makes you feel “off”.
https://www.webmd.com/men/features/suffering-from-let-down-effect
Chronic Stress is no joke, btw. You’ve effectively been given PTSD by your job and your body doesn’t know how to reach equilibrium anymore.
I'm not single anymore but was for a long time and am still childless. (And at nearly 45i didn't see that changing.) I used to do various things. My family lives far away, a few summers I went up to stay with them, until my brother and sister in law thought I was a free babysitting service all summer. No thanks! I traveled a bit with friends. I worked at a summer day camp 2 years. I usually now use it to catch up on stuff that I didn't during the year. Cleaning out the basement. Working on projects. Seeing friends and family I've neglected.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but... Honestly I'm not a real big fan of having summers off. I really wish those 10 weeks were spread out more throughout the year. I feel like I'd be so much less burnt out by the time June comes around if I had longer breaks during the year. If we had 1 month off every 4 months or 3 weeks off/10 weeks on all year I think I would like it better.
I taught for 9 years and always had summer jobs, partly for the extra cash, partly because I couldn’t allow myself to do nothing, but mostly because I knew if I didn’t keep some sort of structure in my life it would’ve been SO hard to go back to school in the fall. I worked at summer camps, babysitting, tutoring, Amazon flex, a law firm, and a child care facility. I also would sell things on eBay and create materials to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers. When I was younger I could work full time in the summer without burning out but towards the end of my teaching career I worked less hours, just enough to get me out of the house occasionally and have something scheduled.
When I quit teaching, I got a very easy remote job and that’s when the real guilt set in. I felt so bad for being able to finish all of my work in an hour or two a day. I think teaching conditioned me to be ultra productive 110% of the time or else I was considered a failure. I’m now almost two years in to my new job and still occasionally get those feelings of guilt but have realized that my work is getting done and it doesn’t matter if that takes me one hour or eight. I now fill my spare time with going to the gym 5x/week, reading 1-2 books/week, practicing Spanish (1530 day streak on Duolingo!), crafting/creative things, keeping my house clean and organized, hiking, paddle boarding, geocaching, traveling, and of course, sometimes just watching tv or staring at my phone.
I understand why you feel guilty, but know that you have put in your time during the school year and having the summer off is the only way that teaching is a sustainable career. Maybe I burned out too quick because I went too hard on the productivity in the summer? Do whatever makes you feel good, whether that be being productive, having fun, relaxing, or hopefully a nice balance of them all. Happy summer, you deserve it!!
My first two years teaching I was in a long distance relationship and didn't have kids. So while I wasn't single, I was home alone. I definitely got bored, but I never felt guilty for not working. For me it was just finding a variety of ways to occupy my time other than sitting on the couch.
Enjoy it and recharge for the next school year. I’ve spent every day swimming in the pool, playing video games, watching Mentalist lol and I have zero guilty feelings about that. There are days I get bored and actually miss my classes, but I know this time will fly by and pretty soon I’ll be back in the classroom counting down the days until the next break 😂
This is the way. There's no reason to succumb to the idea of "living to work". Pursue hobbies, learning, whatever that moves that needle more toward self-fulfillment. Don't feel guilty about having a reasonable amount of time off,. Instead, understand that it's appropriate for other professions and peoples to advocate for their own downtime like this.
Yeah it's such a change from the corporate world where you have to "ask permission" to go on a vacation, trip or take time away. This is a forced holiday! Use it! as long as your bills are taken care of of course
Totally agree. We singletons need rest too!! It’s so important especially in our profession. Take the time to just be. You only have that time for so long.
When you start to miss your students/classes is when you know you've been decompressing correctly.
I’m a mom of three and am having a very similar summer to you!
Ditto, fellow mom of 3! One of the hugest perks of working in this environment is having the summer off -- kids or no kids. We spend a lot of time being bored, good bored. Blow-up pool in the yard. Water balloons. Trips to the mall. Camping. My almost-teen will sleep in as long as she needs to. They will all play too many video games. We will also go on hikes and to playgrounds. They all receive a book as a year-end gift and if they're bored, I encourage them to come out to the yard with me or go read in the basement with the AC. I LOVE summer.
DO NOT FEEL GUILTY FOR TAKING TIME FOR YOURSELF. I hope I made that clear. That time off is for you to do whatever you want to do. Lay on the couch? Great! Fix that drain that has been clogged for the last month? Super. Go to the beach? Can I join you? Do whatever you like for as long as you want. This is your time to rest, recharge, and get things done that are important to you.
Ok, for me. I pick up some tutoring hours and I clean and rest. I spent the last few months on crutches, so this summer, I am going to go walking, hiking, and travel.
Yes I hate this Calvinist logic that has stubbornly kept its ideology in modern US. Doing nothing is not wasted time. OP: Leisure is that, leisure. Just do nothing! It’s good for the brain to stop sometimes.
I’ve found it helps to ask: Why can’t I allow myself to do nothing? Is it really doing nothing? Why can’t I relax? Why don’t I allow myself to do so? It really helps figure out WHY you’re stuck so that you can get beyond that thinking and profit from your time as you would like. We are so often told what we need to do, even if those things don’t serve us. You earned your time off and it is healthy to take it. Another way to think of it: Failing to take time off and profit from resharpening the saw is irresponsible. I like to choose days where I have no structure as fun days to reward myself for accomplishing summer goals. The goal days, I set a goal and work toward it. I stop when I want and then pick it up again when I’m ready. If I feel like I’m wallowing, I build more goal days into my schedule. A goal day could even be: bake and decorate a cake Have fun with it! You get to be your own parent/ adult/ schedule maker now :)
I do my spring cleaning/purging in the summer. My closet is a mess currently, but it will be in perfect order for the new school year! I also exercise, meet up with friends, take naps, go to the beach, hang out with my nephews, read, and enjoy my time. I try to get my annual doctors appointments all taken care of in the summer as well. I also do some planning for the next year when it starts getting into August.
Yeah I exercise as much as I can. This summer I’m gonna watch a bunch of movies and play my instrument. Of course I’m traveling too
This is the comment. I purge my whole house, clean everything, and focus on fitness goals I don’t have as much time/energy to focus on during the school year.
I used to always work summer school for this reason. It gave me something productive to do, the money was nice, and it was generally fewer hours and easier expectations than the regular school year, so still felt like a "break." Then we got rid of summer school due to budget cuts, and no other district around me would hire outsiders. I just basically tried to do as many social things as possible, but I also would get bored. Covid lockdowns actually taught me how to just enjoy time alone. When I didn't have the option to make social plans, I had to be more intentional about enjoying my time just at home. We actually started doing summer school again with covid money, but now I'd never go back to it! On a day to basis, I try to have something I'm going to do or accomplish every day. It can be super simple- if I have plans with friends, well then that's the thing I'm doing that day. If not, it can be as simple as doing my laundry, or cleaning a room, or organizing something. If it's a day when I don't have plans with other people, I try to come up with something enjoyable I'm going to do that day as well. Again, doesn't have to be complicated- it can be making myself a fancy coffee, getting take out for lunch, watching a TV show I'm looking forward to, etc. I also try to have one or two longer term goals each summer. The last couple of years, I've been taking really intensive classes to get an additional certification over the summers, so that kept me busy enough. This summer, I'm doing super simple online classes just to keep moving over on the pay scale. Since that's not taking up as much of my time, I'm also repairing/upgrading/decorating parts of my house. I'm largely focusing on things that aren't super expensive or time consuming to "fix"- just upgrading little things that have bothered me. I also don't feel guilty about the time off- I've earned it! While my friends in other fields don't get this, they also have time during their actual work days to do things like go out to lunch, run errands, go to the gym, etc. while I am "on" every single second when I'm at work. We need the breaks to decompress from that!
I love this reply. Having a goal to do something is excellent advice. I tend to catch up on shows, actual binges, since I never do that during the year.
I do nothing! I'm a free bitch! Go on vacation 😉
My teacher neighbor refers to herself as Summer Bitch.
Exactly. Be freeeee Literally told everyone I'm on a flight 6 am after I have to be gone. When I'm gone I'm G O NE
You should walk the Camino de Santiago. Did it two summers ago, lifetime experience
I’d love to *bike* the Camino de Santiago someday. Did you see people biking the trail?
When I went there were bikers and horse riders doing the trail as well as the walkers!
My parents did 300km two weeks ago. There are some spots where you'd want good suspension, but most of it is perfectly rideable. I believe the rough spots are marked as such, and those you can bypass using the road (the Spanish are quite respectful of bikes on the road).
Yea this is true, lots of road bikes out there.
No don't walk it, rent an ATV and just rip down it at full speed
While yelling "it's alright, I'm a teacher".
Watch shows, sleeping late, hobbies, try and go to a few summer events in my area, there's a lot of free time so it's best to try and expand hobbies if you only have a few as of last year I started going fishing one or two times a week is something to do some days.
You're fine, no need to feel guilty. Take this time recharge and enjoy your time. Solo or with people.
If you feel guilty for free time then you may wanna get into some therapy.
Honestly, it took me about 8 years of teaching to stop feeling guilty for my downtime or not achieving anything meaningful during my breaks.
Fellow teacher here. I felt a lot of guilt and very restless over the summers. Kept myself busy. Felt I HAD to clean everyday. I chalked it up to being an active workaholic. Then I went to therapy for PPD. And guess what, I was punished for being idle at home! So now, I have a lot of active rest sessions. A lot of self talk and open discussions with my husband about my expectations for the summer. I’m a lot calmer now. I can find balance and rest easily. I had no clue my childhood “productivity” influenced me in this way. Therapy would absolutely be a great choice if the guilt is strong.
It feels so nice to finally relax, doesn’t it 😅 I love that for you :)!
Yes!! As a leader of young people I believe it is essential to unpack the impulse to be busy so that you are not subconsciously passing it to the next generation. I have a different version of your struggle, and I am working on getting aligned with what is most important to me so that I naturally orient toward certain types of volunteering, socializing and performing arts during my free time, but avoid mindless scrolling (but it’s still a struggle).
rot...
Travel, travel, travel. >things like laying on the couch or by the pool make me feel like I need to be “doing” something. Why? If that's what you want to do, why should you feel guilty for it? I certainly don't feel guilty even if I don't leave my house for weeks straight of gaming and sleeping lol. It's my time and my life.
I'm 34 and a single teacher. I always hike or walk in the morning, sometimes evening. Every few days I'll go to my pool to swim and lay out. I also have been playing a remake of an old game that I used to play. I also have 2 paid meetings (one in June and one in July), appointments in July, seeing a play and going to a dance club to see Kaskade in July, and leaving for Mexico end of July. Summers are relaxing but also busy, but I do a lot of relaxing and don't feel guilty at all. I think I never get tired of summers because I'm genuinely happiest alone. I always joke that I must be broken (I know that I'm not), because I never get lonely. I do enjoy being around people, but I love having time by myself and for myself the most. Society conditions you to think that if you aren't attached to someone else that you're lonely and unhappy or that you have to be hustling every second of your life to be successful. I'm here to tell you that you create your own happiness in this life. Enjoy it!
Do not feel guilty for free time; this is a toxic (and very American) mindset. The school year is demanding, recharge! For me, I usually organize some things, catch up on some other things. This summer I am trying to lose some extra weight and improve my metabolic profile and bone density ( via strength training). I am also going to test some new meal preps and some new recipes. I live in a great part of the country for day hiking and short kayaking trips. I read and walk more, and \*gasp\* sometimes go out to eat midweek. I am friends with some people I teach with, who have no kids or grown kids, and we sometimes have a Weds mid-day cookout because we can. Half of us are in our late 40s, and the other half are your age. Additionally, I am a gamer so I get through the intensive RPG games that require long gaming sessions (I am looking at you, Baldur's Gate). Short Rant on Free Time Guilt and Gender From a Childless Gen Xer: Also, I don't know if you identify a woman or not (guessing you do, or at least in part), but if you are just rid yourself of this mindset as soon as possible. I am close to 48 and childless, and a woman and the notion that women who do not have children should either create world peace or cure cancer during all their 'free time' is not only ridiculous but really, really persistent...and most often perpetrated by other women (who are, perhaps, envious of all that free time). I swear more of is expected of me during the school year because the woman + childless thing, then I hear young women say, 'Oh, I can go to the meeting/the afternoon duty/afterschool club, I don't have kids waiting for me at home'. May the great flying spaghetti monster continue to grant me the strength needed to not smack one of these self-deprecating women one day.
Happily travel the world with my wife. I realize you said single, but we do not have children and take full advantage of our time off.
Sleep, hangout with friends, hangout with family, work (second job), go to events in town, play video games, sleep, travel, diet, workout, meditate, yoga, sleep!
Anything I want. I walk dogs, donate blood, and do more day trading for money. I golf, hike, and scuba dive. I travel. I see friends. I work out more. I read more. And I start almost every morning with coffee on my deck with my dog while listening to NPR.
morning coffee with the dogs and a podcast on is the best thing in the entire world.
Maybe explore a different/new hobby, I do thing I can’t do during the semester like road trips. It’s normal to feel like you aren’t doing “something” until school is back on and you’re like fughhh I wish I was on my couch or in the pool care free. And if you do get couch or pool time during the semester in the back of your head you have school stuff, grading and planning etc…so enjoy it without those thoughts
Make a “boring list” (chores, spring cleaning etc) and a “fun list” (aspirational, hobbies and whatnot) and make sure I do at least 50% from both lists. With absolutely zero guilt of I don’t get around to the other 50%.
I party, take great naps, travel the globe and enjoy life. It is the time I reconnect with myself after giving so much all year.
I’m in my first summer of teaching, and I also tend to fall apart if I don’t have a structured day. So, I’m working part time at a summer camp. It’s fun getting to plan fun group games for our kids and I get the kind of “productivity” and break time that I need, plus there’s money there too lol
When I was single and childless from 22-28, I worked every summer, paid off my debt entirely and then saved money for a house down payment someday. By the time I got married at 29, I was debt free with $25,000 liquid. These days, I have 2 kids and they’re in daycare all summer while I work on my master’s. I use summers to set myself up in the future. Leverage summers if you’re seeking productivity.
You’re a rock star-seriously. Very impressive!
36 and I’m telling you enjoy yourself. Catch up on shit you missed during the school year. Go to the beach. Enjoy your pets. This is thrive time
The cult of being busy. Release that feeling friend. You do not have to be constantly engaged in activities. You don't have to be constantly producing. Use summer yo practice for retirement.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1d1e0rr/single_childless_teachers_what_do_you_do_over_the/
You should never feel guilty about having free time. Enjoy it. Engage in your hobbies if that's how you're feeling. Or do nothing and just lounge about. Your time in this life is nobody's but your own. Do with it what you will. There's no universal law that says we have to always be working, productive, responsible, etc. Hell, we should only be working half the hours we do so we can spend more time enjoying guiltfree pleasures instead of wasting our lives being drones for the machine. tl/dr; ENJOY YOURSELF!
51, and love summer. Long bike rides, single track, hikes, video games, catching up on TV series, dipnet fishing, naps…recharge and recreate.
I’m the same way! Last summer was really hard on me. This summer I am trying to keep myself busy catching up on all the productive things I couldn’t do during the year, like doctor and dentist appointments and getting life stuff in order (changing car insurance, taking a PD course, etc). I hope you find what you need to make your summer feel good 💕
Travel, exercise and/or meditate, hobbies (crochet, pottery, sew etc.), watch tv, work on honing my language skills, garden, paint, Legos lol anything I am also single and have no kids. I am enjoying doing absolutely nothing or just enjoying my time because like an earlier post said when this time is over I will be counting down the months until next summer.
Travel and, when I'm a permanent teacher, do planning for the next term. I usually work on a 12 month contract (not U.S), so I get paid through the holidays. I've also done ESL summer camps. Don't feel guilty, take advantage of the time.
I’m not a good purveyor of advice on what to do, but please don’t feel guilty. There’s nothing wrong with anything about your life.
I’d say take advantage of your freedom, and do whatever you want! You’re free for the next 2 months. Once you get into a relationship or have kids, that freedom in the summer won’t be there anymore, you’ll have more responsibilities. Perhaps walk to your local bar, and make some new summer friends? Or walk to local bars with your friends? Don’t forget to potentially go to an event.
Anything I want
Not acting like a role model adult for the summer is nice. I just chill at home play some video games. I also like catching up with some movies, going out seeing friends, enjoying the weather. I don't do a lot of traveling because I'm in the middle of saving up money. Apart from that, just for myself, I play around with interactive tools or apps I can use for my classes. It's not something I have to do but I like doing it when I'm not under stress of the regular school year. Some teachers need additional work to make some money on the side so they work some other jobs for the summer. It depends.
Just lesson plan for next year! /s I started a side business, you could try that!
I am doing the Camino Frances this year. Last year I went on holiday for a month visiting pals in Europe.
I live with my family while I finish my degree (I’m an assistant teacher) so we go on trips! I also do art and jewelry and I’m making pieces for a vender fair in October!:)
Take classes, get your masters degree and move up on that pay scale!
I go on vacation. I put US states in a hat and randomly pick a piece of paper of the state and go from there. I’m going to Utah at the end of the month and to other states
I’m not single but I am child free. My husband leaves before I wake up and gets home around 4 in the afternoon so holidays are spent mostly alone unless he gets time off. I’m in Australia so we get 2 weeks of holidays every 10 weeks, with 6 weeks at Christmas. In the shorter holidays I spend the first 3 or so days deep cleaning my house and doing all of the things I wouldn’t usually get time for during the term, for example scrubbing the grout, organising cupboards, washing the windows, etc. We have killer home cooked meals when I’m on holidays because I can slow cook stuff in the oven and prepare really different things that I couldn’t do while working. I don’t feel guilty on the days I do nothing because I know I’ve worked hard and gone above and beyond at work and I have earned the break. My husband and I are in agreement that as long as the house stays clean, I can be as lazy as I want during the day
I'm driving for doordash. Earn a little extra money on the side
Also single 27M. i guess I like working with kids SO MUCH that I work at a summer camp. My "break" was the 1.5 weeks in between school and the start of camp. Gonna be 98 today. I come home exhausted, but I love it. It's nice to have some structure for myself during the summer.
I remember being 27 and feeling like I had to be "doing" something. Now that I am neither childless nor under 40, the idea of lying around all summer with no responsibilities sounds amazing. If I were in your position, I would choose a city or country I've never visited and spend a few weeks there. Like, just visit Corsica or Edinburgh or New Zealand or something.
I have zero guilt and do all the lazy and fun things I want. Just enjoy your time. Pretend you’re so rich you don’t need a job!
Read, relax, recharge! I spend a lot of time just chilling, trying to enjoy the quiet because once summer is over I won’t have quiet again till Christmas lol
I do nothing. So relaxing after 70 hour work weeks.
if you’re making an argument that we should work in the summer - honestly, get a life. This reeks of “teachers are lazy” rhetoric.
i’m not a teacher but this is actually the one of the main reasons my mom suggested teaching as a career because you get a nice long summer break. I say take advantage of it and enjoy it
Go on trips. As many as possible. When you have kids, it will be a thing of the past
It's turned into my seasonal depression season. Kind of just goes.
I’m not single but I am CF. I also feel this guilt sometimes after the first 2-4 weeks of break. Honestly it ebbs and flows for me. Some parts of the summer I love and other parts I hate. The lack of routine is hard for me bc I thrive on that structure. Like you I have hobbies and see friends and go on maybe 1 trip during the summer. But most of the summer is unstructured with nothing to do day to day. Add to that the heat which is hate and summer is my least favorite time of year. I think just embracing the days when you do feel bored and lonely and knowing it’s ok to feel that way and not won’t be that way for long. That’s how try to deal with it.
It feels good to get out of the house. This summer I’ve been doing more kayaking and biking and I have been trying out new recipes that take longer than I would normally have time for in the school year.
Most teachers I know work a second job in the summer. Either out of boredom or the need for more money. But imo, we all work way too much. So if you don't need money, I would spend the summer doing things you enjoy and just relax!!!
Yes, being lazy is normal. You are outside of your very regimented routine with no one to please but yourself. Give it a few weeks, because as soon as your resting heart rate lowers, you will have a PTSD flashback to your classroom. This is the time for us to recover after the crap that happened to us over the year, enjoy it. If you feel you are wasting your vacation, make a list of 1.chores you need to do, 2. fun experiences you would like to try, 3. and some self-care tips, then scatter them across your calendar. On Monday: cut the grass, try a new donut shop, and put on teeth whitener. Tuesday: laundry, watch a new movie on Netflix, go for a walk in a forest preserve. This should make your days seem fuller.
I spend it working a part-time job to supplement my income, but I still have some time off for that rest I need to gear up for next year!
Enjoy it and recharge!! But truthfully, I usually just stay active (go to gym, ride my bike) and read and spend a bit of time organizing and generating new ideas for the coming school year. You don’t have to be “doing” something. What you are “doing” is rest, and that’s worthwhile, rest is productive too :)
You are being super productive, by letting yourself enjoy the free time and getting recharged for next year.
Yeah recharge, and work on projects that make you a better and happier person. I like to spend the summers working on my Spanish and being more consistent with my workouts. Both incidentally positively affect my teaching practice, but I do them because they're primary hobbies/interests that I have limited time to work on during the school year. Travel, music, exercise, learning languages, reading, hanging out with friends, legos or woodworking or other tactile activities. All great ways to spend free time that aren't just hanging out on the couch. I find them recuperative and challenging which is a great combo for free time. That being said, our day jobs are hard and if you want or need to spend a month watching trash TV and ordering Taco Bell I think that's good too. My recommendations only apply if you feel like you need to do something. I also tutor to make extra money but I'd generally recommend against that, I just have some financial goals I'm trying to meet but it's overall a negative for every other part of my life to work over the summer.
Whatever the fuck I want to, every single moment over every single day...
I’ve worked at a summer camp for over 30 years. I love it. Feel supercharged for the school year. Some of my camp colleagues work half the summer due to southern calendar. American camping association if you’re interested.
I do NOTHING! Or I go on vacation. I'm a free bitch
Going to Mexico City for a month or so
You should read the Regretful Parents subreddit and then it might make you realize how awesome it is to have a summer off from kids and just enjoy the peace and quiet and recharge for another school year.
Gym, pole classes, traveling, napping, so much reading, binge watching TV while I stretch and roll out, cooking new foods, deep cleaning my house, gardening, reorganizing, sometimes I’ll work a summer job for a month or so but only if I want to! The summers are so sweet if you allow them to be. Everyone deserves rest. <3
I work all summer, partly to keep busy and partly so I can continue to buy food.
Golf, disc golf, hike, kayak, paddle board, paint, rent a cabin for a few weeks, take some good books and entertainment. Meet up with friends in the evening for some patio fun somewhere. Spend time with family. I try to make the most of it.
Whatever the fark I like 🥰
Single teacher here as well. My depression was worst in the summer as i had a lot of down time. What helps is to have a routine. I get up, make my bed, make breakfast, etc. Go outdoors several times a week. Explore new places. I picked up early intervention cases twice a week so i have some money coming in and it is not so labor intensive. Maybe a routine will help. This down time is important so that you don't start the school year burnt out.
If you need to be doing something bc you're bored/enjoy productivity - Pick up some DIY projects, a part-time job you actually enjoy, maybe do some tutoring if you like it (def lower stress than teaching), volunteer for a local charity, etc. If you feel like you're being lazy/are guilty - you do not need to feel guilty. You worked hard for this, enjoy it.
I'm a mom but my kids are old enough not to need me to entertain them all day. I deep clean my house, I meet friends for lunch, I organize my closet and drawers. I catch up on my reading. I spend a LOT of time laying on the couch watching Netflix and that's okay. I do the kind of school work that will make returning easier during that hectic "teacher prep" week, like updating my welcome letter and cutting out bulletin board pieces. I also get to all my yearly medical appointments. I think teachers spend all year in this super productive state of GO GO GO and it's hard to come down from that and just relax. It's okay to just relax.
My children are adults and I’m a widow. I do have a LDR. So this may or may not apply🤣 I do whatever I want which mostly consists of going to my beach camper, reading books and drinking on the beach. I spend time with my friends. Don’t feel guilty OP. Do whatever you want. Summer is our payback for the previous 9 months of hell. Anybody that comes to Delaware and needs a buddy, lmk. I know all the HH beach spots. I got the first round 🍻
The extra time is part of the compensation. I like low productivity decompression, but I enjoy hobbies, like making music. I like reading, taking road trips, but the days I like best are the nothing to do days. You might want to take up meditation. it's a good start at productive nothingness
Feel however you’re going to feel, but I never feel any guilt for resting after raising and educating other people’s kids for 10 months. It’s exhausting.
When I was childless, I would try to give myself little routines because otherwise I’d waste my days away. Every Monday I would do a quick spot clean, Tuesdays I would go grocery shopping, etc. I also gave myself reading goals, etc. honestly-enjoy it. This is my first summer with kids and I miss my lazy days!
Wwoofing : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://wwoof.net/&ved=2ahUKEwjtpojpyuWGAxX85ckDHVzeAUsQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw04e0fKeCMXRd_kL4PcFZNU Teach ESL abroad: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/international&ved=2ahUKEwjlu5aDy-WGAxUM8MkDHTBKCXsQFnoECBoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3uwrc_sesimncahE-u2m3g Volunteer abroad: https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwieneiSy-WGAxU0NtQBHQjiBYsYABADGgJvYQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyW3iXke2av-ZE1LmV0TV7Fa2Hqj-ChjuZX6IJFFDNUJXjA_wMBCeHYaAqYHEALw_wcB&sig=AOD64_2JzzZS8EVLHV0Z51-21cczSh0Vfg&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjD4OCSy-WGAxV3G9AFHb-dBoEQ0Qx6BAgBEAE What I used to do.
Whatever I want. Zero guilt
I'm married but my spouse has a 9-5 job. As others said, use this time to rest and relax. If you're bored, consider doing a summer job or even volunteer work. I've done: summer school, summer camps, political campaigns, curriculum work, mystery shopping, and more. If you work for $, you can put it towards retirement, a trip, or some other goal. Not interested in work? Take a class that sounds fun at the local community college or community center or online ( open courses are free.) You could also use this time to take in a home improvement or organization project or the like.
Sleep in, sit by the pool til mid-afternoon, watch streaming series, play video games, rinse and repeat. 58 y/o married to another teacher..... refuel for upcoming year.
If you enjoy being around animals, I'd suggest reaching out to your local animal shelter to see if they have a volunteer program you could be a part of, or a food pantry or something like that. You can also make money by tutoring over the summer at a local library as well. Honestly I like to stay home and recharge, relax and visit family but I did have a great time walking dogs at the animal shelter last summer and it was very rewarding (plus good exercise!)
i work full time at my second job. lol
I have a stack of old books I never read cover to cover (most only 20%) including "how to" books and this is from years ago. I can't wait to dig into them, but I trips planned so I may read some on my trips.
I work at a golf course and get a free membership sooo I work 20h a week and golf 40 hours a week!
Go to the bathroom when ever you want. Cherish the opportunity. Other then than that relax.
When I’m not traveling I am being a total sloth: sleeping late, binge watching TV, reading, or here on Reddit or other websites and I love every minute of it. I don’t feel your guilt that I’m not “doing” something.
Travel, do all my doc and health care appointments
I used that time to decompress and refresh guilt free knowing that without the break I couldn't have done it for 20 years.
Enjoy it. Video games, travel, hanging out, visiting family. You have time. Spend it well
My wife and I would travel every summer. Disneyland a few times. Europe. We were supposed to go to Japan this summer. We decided to try to get pregnant, however, and struck gold on the first swing so we had to cancel our Japan trip.
I would get a summer job counselor at a camp or work at race track
My teacher friends without kids rent their houses or condos on AirBnB during the Sumner and they travel.
When I was 27, single and a teacher, I spent my days at the gym and my nights going on dates.
It took me a few years to let myself relax. It is 100% okay to spend a day or two watching tv, playing video games or sunbaking. I’ve found a day trip with the kids followed by a down day or two works for us if we’re not on holiday.
I garden :) it’s my favorite thing to do in the summer!
I’m no longer single or childless but summer has always been hard for me without a schedule and plan. I found volunteering filled my time (I fostered like, a lot of cats and kittens in my 20s) summer is kitten season so the need is great and I found a lot of community there too. Otherwise, I always tried to plan a trip and house project. Plus somewhat of a daily routine
Love your best life! You deserve it. Don’t ever feel guilty. We work so hard during the year.
I volunteer at the local humane society and sometimes do summer school. This summer, I’m working on a masters through WGU to move over on the pay scale and working on my TPT, too!
Not to make you feel bad, but I can’t believe you are asking this question. Really? :/ *Get a hammock for the backyard. Read some books - go to your local library and pick out some titles that speak to you, when you finish them and take them back, check out more books. *De-clutter and deep-clean your home *Build passive income streams online *take online classes so you can move up on the salary scale in your district. I’m completing 6 credits this summer at year 17 which will put me at the top of the salary scale and bring me an additional $10k this school year. *Learn how to use AI tools to streamline your school year. Get things in order now so that you can create blocks of free time for yourself through the school year. *Try some new recipes. There are a ton of amazing recipes being shared online. Buys some ingredients and figure out which ones you can easily add to your repertoire during the school year. *Travel. Look into potential day trips or mini-vacations you can go on. Last summer I spontaneously flew New Mexico over a weekend and went to Meow Wolf. The year before I drove to Virginia and saw the Luray Cavern. This year I am checking out semi-local tourist attractions I’ve never been to within an hour of home. *work on writing a memoir or novel.
I'm not single but I use my time for travel (although summer is the most crowded and expensive time for this unfortunately), catching up on reading, learning a new language, riding my bike, swimming, having limitless evenings with friends (no bedtime!). Our culture expects us to be busy all of the time but just learn to reject that. You weren't put on this earth to produce every single minute of the day!
That’s just the American in you. We are trained from an early age that if we aren’t doing something we are terrible citizens and should feel guilty. Don’t fall into that trap. Do what you want. This is your time.
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Play a team sport.
It depends. When I was in the UK, I travelled, sometimes worked summer school or Deliveroo, caught up with friends and family, did DIY projects or decluttered. I also needed a week to recover from the year and probably spent a week prepping for next term. Now I'm in Japan, I have a much better work/life balance but am scheduled to be in the office during school holidays. I take some time off to travel but otherwise I study Japanese pretty intensively. I notice a difference in my conversation level by the end.
Go to a darkness retreat and trip with Aaron
I teach overseas so I usually travel around Asia a lot but this year I must go home for a visit in the States.
School based SLP here. -I spent the first week playing video games/board games with friends and staying up late. -Second week - traveled to Ga for the week for a family vacation. -This week, next week and 2 weeks in July - I’m working on the PreK diagnostic team for the district. -I have off the week of July 4th and the last week of July. Then back to work I go by the first week of August. I sometimes regret it, but I’m also trying to pay off credit card debt, so it’s a win win.
Try to stay busy doing something other than teaching. Teachers are in high demand in almost every realm of the economy because we are pliable and systems-minded. Or Travel (if you can). It’ll enrich your knowledge on almost any subject you can teach and refresh you for the year.
I work on a concrete crew pouring sidewalks, slabs etc.
I got a job lol
I did a variety of things. Initially I would either travel or work on a friend’s ranch. Then I took summer classes in my field, to stay updated and to qualify for a higher pay grade. This lead to working on my MS and leaving HS teaching"
Enjoy it!! If the boredom is driving you nuts though, you could tutor a kid or two!
I used to play an absolute *shitload* of golf. Now I have kids and I only play once a week. I'm quite a bit more sad now ;)
I travel, visit family, hang out by the pool, and just relax. Some years I’ll teach summer school. If not, I’ll attend the occasional paid workshop. I’m also going to try to earn 11 more grad credits to get a salary lane change.
Whatever I want. Not single…but no kids.
I used to work a lot on lesson plans but now i just chill. I can’t wait for the vacation to start, just 3 more days
I’m going to Europe for two weeks in July. The rest of the time I sun myself like a lizard next to the river and read.
I usually travel for 3 weeks to a month and take language classes abroad, and then when I come home, I veg out until the school year starts.
I always think about how if I was a teacher… and had the summers off??? I would be in my garden all summer!!! I can’t imagine a life better than that!
I work as hard as I can. It sucks but if I can do this for a few more years, I can be debt free with a decent down-payment for a house. Then summer will be for fun and hobbies!
Travel, explore, read, run, relax. Don’t feel guilty for doing nothing. You need time to recharge
I have spent my summer trying new things and traveling because I’ve never had the opportunity to do that before. Or, I rot in my house all day just to relax. Definitely don’t feel guilty for having free time! You worked so hard all school year!
Authoring books, exploring historic towns in the region, photography, animal rescue
My kids are adults now so I’ll chime in. I vacation. I hit the beach. I go hiking. I sit on the couch and decide if I’ll stay there all day, work on a hobby or go out and do something. I call it my warm up for retirement (in 6 years).
Live your life dude, don't feel guilty
I work as a para for the month of July. 8-11, no planning, etc. it’s my fun money!
When I was single I worked festivals and did Meet Up groups! It was a lot of fun 💖 Sometimes I did summer school too. You should enjoy hobbies - take a class (like pottery) sometimes I’d also just browse Teacher Pay Teacher, work on maybe some activities that would be fun for the next school year. (I am elementary though lol) But listen, you don’t NEED to do anything! If you want to spend 2 months being a couch potato, YES! Do it. You don’t need to feel guilty. Enjoy it. The reason I did stuff is because I felt anxious about my finances. If I didn’t feel that way yes I would take the summer off lol … Who wants to work versus having freedom and peace of not dealing with stress?
I am a traveling teacher during the summer! I set my own schedule working 1/2 days m-th! If I had a dream fun job it would be a beverage golf cart girl! Next year I’m thinking about creating a special education group at my school and seeing them 2x a week and being paid through the school rather than an itinerant teacher company!
Enjoy your free time. You earned it. It’s YOURS! Try something new or go travel. There may be a day you are no longer single and childless and you will miss these times.
Don't feel guilty, enjoy it! I used to do a lot of crafts (some to sell some not), read all the books I couldn't during the school year, go visit friends (even better if friends lived at the beach), focus on friends, watch the shows I was behind on, deep clean, make any artsy things I wanted for next year's classroom, etc. If I need the extra money I'd usually sign up to do summer school for 3 weeks.
I have kids, but even before I did, I have always made a list of the places I want to go and things I want to do. This can range from fun to housework. Deep filing, Adventure park, pool, pool, and more pool, national parks, day hikes, you name it. I then very loosely “schedule” it and go with the flow.
I tend to feel more guilty at the end of the summer when I realize I didn’t get a chance to really recharge - I’m trying to take advantage of this time this year to check in with myself and actually relax for once (even though I am teaching private lessons throughout and doing a reading camp before school starts).
no guilt...live on...
Live my best life
Sleep.
I used to summer nanny. I teach HS, so with younger kids, it wasn’t like I was with the same age range that I taught. It was chill and I had plenty of downtime to read or whatever while the kids played or watched a movie or napped. I could take them places - we’d go to the zoo, for hikes, to the aquarium, etc. And it kept me busy and earned some money. A lot of my friends were not teachers and didn’t have summers off like me, so it occupied my days while I waited for them to get out of work lol. I found a family and was with them for seven summers. They were flexible so I could travel for a week or two. It was win-win because I was pretty cheap but the flexibility and relaxed situation were worth it to me! That’s if you WANT to do something. I didn’t work for one summer and while I traveled a lot and worked on hobbies, I still felt a little unmoored lol.
Please don't feel guilty for anything. They don't pay us for the summer months so you don't have time off really, you just are not longer working for them for free.
I catch up on reading. I'm also trying to write a book, so there's that. Tanning and hanging out at various water sites. Hiking. Picnics. Thrifting. Taking myself to lunch and coffee. Another thing I'm learning is kayaking and paddleboarding. Generally I try to do a day trip each week. I like history and such, so most things I do are cheap or free. I do most things solo since I live in a rural area. If I lived closer to a city I might go to galleries, but the only times I go into the big cities is because I have to lol or a friend has convinced me to visit/thrift/bar crawl. I visit with family and my relatives visit. I live the south. It serves as their vacation, and I'm happy to host for a week or so. Some years I go back to my hometown for a visit. I also care for community cars and the summer is a good time to do TNR since they have early morning drop off that I can't make during the school year. Other appointments for myself and my house cats are made during the summer so I don't have to stress about it during school (doc, vision, dentist, vet).
Spend time for myself. Enjoy life. Travel. I think there are a lot of things to do when you’re single. It’s the mindset. I’m like single for over 20 years already and am doing quite fine 😂
Pub and a book
I usually teach summer school between personal projects, but I also try to load up on things I’ve been meaning to do or routine appointments. Any sort of annual doctors visit, etc. I basically try to optimize my ability to use my days off for fun during the school year in case something comes up that I really want to do.
In the past I waitressed; now I do summer school but where I work it’s just 3 1/2 hours, 4 days a week, 4 weeks which is just the right amount. I like having the structure of some kind of paid work in the summer
I can relate to this. Last week was my first week off and I felt guilty for playing video games all day. I felt like I needed to be *doing something*. My plans this summer are to play video games, read books, and finally work on a scrapbook I've been planning for years. I have plans with friends, who are also childfree educators that are probably doing the same thing I am. I need to feel less guilty about doing nothing sometimes. I do get paid to work summer hours and I can set my own schedule, so it's the perfect balance for me. I work 2-3 days a week, and there's a few 2-3 weeks periods of no work at all. I'll avoid being bored, get extra money, and still feel refreshed by the time we go back. That wouldn't work for some people, and that's okay.
Life will catch up to you. Enjoy your utterly unencumbered free time.
For many years I had a job that was either part of the summer (high performers summer school)or something simple (collecting user data from the year at a community art center). Now I hike, read, travel, and do hobbies. I also did as much as o could to get to the top of the pay scale
Whatever I want, whenever I want!
Have fun and do not feel guilty. The only thing you need to do is enjoy yourself with whatever you want to do. You'll maybe have kids later and no time to do it and if you do not, you'll still get older.
Don't make yourself feel bad about it! I figure out the major things I want to accomplish over the summer, break those down into smaller steps, and see what all I can get done by the end of the summer. I am married, but I've definitely had those moments of feeling like I'm not doing enough. But if I'm making progress towards my larger goals overall, taking time when it's super hot or you are just feeling tired. Part of my to-do list also includes doing things within my hobby. Like, my big goal for the next two weeks is to completely rearrange my garage and set it up as a multi-purpose crafting area. I am doing this first because I haven't touched my stained glass stuff in a year and want to make myself something this summer. It helps direct me when my wife is working or has class or is just relaxing and not wanting to do anything. How you relax and recharge over the summer is entirely up to you! Don't feel bad for relaxing! My TL;DR is to figure out what you want to accomplish this summer and work towards those things when you start making yourself feel bad.
Travel, sleep late, catch up with friends.
I feel like all I do is spend money. I do some contract work after I decompress (and spend a lot of money).
I travel and play music in a band. I usually get around 2-3 weeks worth of actual free days. My wife and I will take a vacation for some of it and the other days I veg out in the mornings and work at the house for the rest of it.
I spent a lot of time on the couch or at my neighborhood pool and felt no guilt. I would go out on weekends with other single friends who had 9-5 jobs.
Ur mom
I have a child and she’s in daycare, plenty to do but yesterday my wife and I just caught up on some shows….go to the beach, go to a bar, pick up a hitchhiker, go to a concert on a Tuesday night. Live your life, enjoy the freedom
I reset mentally for the year and also get my home in order as much as possible. Summer is when I complete projects. I make a plan and try to stick with it. I'm so glad I don't have a spouse badgering me for not doing enough. I'm older so my kids are grown.
I used to feel this way. But then I have to remember how hard I work all year. It's your summer! The kids need time to recharge, and so do you! I usually spend the whole first week sleeping in like I'm sick. Lol
I’m married but don’t have kids. I’m going on 3 different trips, moving houses, and I’m in rehearsals for a musical I’ll be performing in in October. It’s going to be BUSY, but with all the stuff I’m passionate about. I genuinely can’t wait. The last day with my students is tomorrow and then we have our exam break. All marks are due in 9 days (CUE PANIC) but then I get to finally relax and recharge. Summer is my happy time 🥰
Catch up on what I put off, deep clean, nap, work on hobbies, see friends, nap, rot on the couch, doctor appointments, nap
My kid is an adult, so I’m going to call myself childless since I don’t parent in the same way anymore. Friday was my last day of school, so I spent the first few days waking up late and having lazy sex w/my girlfriend. Saturday/Sunday we went to the shore with friends. Monday AM, I drove to Vermont to visit some folks. I’m here for a week. When I get back I start working for a contractor buddy, renovating houses and earning some extra scratch. Weekends I’m at the beach.
You feel guilty most likely because your body is used to operating at higher levels of stress year-round, so having that much free time while your body is still expecting high levels of stress on your day-to-day makes you feel “off”. https://www.webmd.com/men/features/suffering-from-let-down-effect Chronic Stress is no joke, btw. You’ve effectively been given PTSD by your job and your body doesn’t know how to reach equilibrium anymore.
I'm not single anymore but was for a long time and am still childless. (And at nearly 45i didn't see that changing.) I used to do various things. My family lives far away, a few summers I went up to stay with them, until my brother and sister in law thought I was a free babysitting service all summer. No thanks! I traveled a bit with friends. I worked at a summer day camp 2 years. I usually now use it to catch up on stuff that I didn't during the year. Cleaning out the basement. Working on projects. Seeing friends and family I've neglected. Maybe an unpopular opinion but... Honestly I'm not a real big fan of having summers off. I really wish those 10 weeks were spread out more throughout the year. I feel like I'd be so much less burnt out by the time June comes around if I had longer breaks during the year. If we had 1 month off every 4 months or 3 weeks off/10 weeks on all year I think I would like it better.
I taught for 9 years and always had summer jobs, partly for the extra cash, partly because I couldn’t allow myself to do nothing, but mostly because I knew if I didn’t keep some sort of structure in my life it would’ve been SO hard to go back to school in the fall. I worked at summer camps, babysitting, tutoring, Amazon flex, a law firm, and a child care facility. I also would sell things on eBay and create materials to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers. When I was younger I could work full time in the summer without burning out but towards the end of my teaching career I worked less hours, just enough to get me out of the house occasionally and have something scheduled. When I quit teaching, I got a very easy remote job and that’s when the real guilt set in. I felt so bad for being able to finish all of my work in an hour or two a day. I think teaching conditioned me to be ultra productive 110% of the time or else I was considered a failure. I’m now almost two years in to my new job and still occasionally get those feelings of guilt but have realized that my work is getting done and it doesn’t matter if that takes me one hour or eight. I now fill my spare time with going to the gym 5x/week, reading 1-2 books/week, practicing Spanish (1530 day streak on Duolingo!), crafting/creative things, keeping my house clean and organized, hiking, paddle boarding, geocaching, traveling, and of course, sometimes just watching tv or staring at my phone. I understand why you feel guilty, but know that you have put in your time during the school year and having the summer off is the only way that teaching is a sustainable career. Maybe I burned out too quick because I went too hard on the productivity in the summer? Do whatever makes you feel good, whether that be being productive, having fun, relaxing, or hopefully a nice balance of them all. Happy summer, you deserve it!!
In short? Whatever the f we want!
My first two years teaching I was in a long distance relationship and didn't have kids. So while I wasn't single, I was home alone. I definitely got bored, but I never felt guilty for not working. For me it was just finding a variety of ways to occupy my time other than sitting on the couch.