When the clock winds down and the last kids ride off on the bus or get picked up in the car rider line, every teacher lets out a big sigh of relief. The school year is finally over and your body can relax and your mind can reset. That last month of school has been a doozy with a million and one things to get done before the end of the year and kids been hyped up from end of the year activities and warm weather. After you’ve gotten your classroom cleaned up for the summer and finished whatever teacher workdays or professional development your district requires of you, what do you do now? I have a list to share with you of 5 things I think every art teacher should do over summer break.

The first one on my list might be an obvious one, relax. For some, it might be obvious but you might still need the reminder. Take a breath and let yourself calm down from the whirlwind of a year. Give yourself some time to veg out and binge watch that new show you never had time for before. Read that book that’s been sitting on your nightstand. Maybe you’re fortunate enough to go on a vacation and soak in the sun. Take an afternoon nap! Whatever helps you reset your body and mind, do it! Teachers need to recharge and refuel but many times, they also need a reminder that it’s okay to do so. You’ve been working so hard all year long, you deserve it!

As an art teacher, when you hear someone give you the advice to go create something, your mind might immediately go towards something big! But is doesn’t have to be. My advice to create something can be small. Doodle in a sketchbook, play with sidewalk outside with your kids, put together a new outfit while shopping, cook a new recipe. All those things count as being creative. Of course, if your creative juices are flowing and you want to go big, don’t stop yourself! By all means, go get that big canvas and paint it! Whatever gets you going, do it. But do something that is completely for you. All school year we create, but it’s for our students. This is the time to create for you.

Whether you travel over your break or stay close to home, go see some art work up close and with your own eyes! Seeing art in person is an experience you can’t get from a screen. Visit a museum or gallery, go to an art fair, walk around downtown and and admire the street art. In a small town or rural area? You might surprise yourself with where you can find artwork. Does that local coffee shop down the street display any artwork? Do you have a fun antique store you can browse? A farmers market to visit? Does your town hall or community center show anything? Get out there and find something. Spend time with it. Look closely with no interruptions. Enjoy the peacefulness and joy that comes with seeing artwork in person. Remind yourself why you wanted to create yourself and why you wanted to share art with others as a teacher.

Summer is the perfect time to try new things. Whether it’s a new hobby you’ve been wanting to try or it’s a new technique or project you want to test out for your classroom next year, this is a great time to do it. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve had a new idea 30 minutes before my class shows up at my door and I completely change gears and start testing it out super quick on the fly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. That long list of Instagram posts you’ve saved because you thought it’d be great for that one unit you teach? Try it out now. When you have time. Not feeling like thinking about next school year? That’s okay! Try something new for you. Try a new drawing material for yourself. Try a new food. Try a new activity or workout. No matter if we try something new for ourselves or for our students it’s always good for us as people and as teachers.

It’s no secret that teachers are some of the worst when it comes to taking care of ourselves. Mind and body, we neglect ourselves in order to take care of our students and family. This summer, take care of YOU. Spend time with your family, get your body moving, sleep, eat healthy, feed our mind, body, and soul. Go to the dentist and all those other appointments you need to get out of the way! 😉 You know what you need for yourself, go get it and don’t hold back. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t let other people tell you what to do or not to do. This is your time to get yourself back. Refresh and regroup. Get yourself healthy and ready for the next year that will sneak up on you before you know it!

While everyone is different and everyone has different priorities, I hope you resonated with something on this list of mine and maybe it gave you some ideas of things to do over your summer break. With the last school year behind you, now is the time to reflect on what you need out of your summer and make the best of it! I hope you all enjoy the time you have away from your school life in order to be able to go back in the fall feeling the best you can!

Keep blending,

Laura