10 Easy Things for Teachers To Do in the Summer to Get Ready for Back-to-School
Inside: a list of low-effort, high-payoff things for teachers to do in the summer and a free printable bucket list that goes with the list.
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Summer is finally here, and you’re ready for a well-deserved break. At the same time, it’s hard not to think about starting fresh again in the fall.
Personally, I always liked to use the first few weeks after school let out for reflection and professional development. If nothing else, early summer is a good time to sit down with a cup of iced coffee and make a list of what worked well last year and what you want to change. But that’s a more serious task than I’m talking about today…
Productive but Easy Things for Teachers To Do in the Summer
Once you’ve gotten your more serious work out of the way, you can still be a tiny bit productive while also enjoying your summer break. I’ve made a list of ten ideas for you, so that you don’t even have to think too hard about what to do.
In case you want some extra motivation, I’ve also made you a color-as-you-go checklist. I guess you could call it a beach bucket list! You can grab your own free copy at the end of this post.
The goal with each of these ideas is that they feel easy and enjoyable now, but are helpful when the school year starts. I’ve organized the list by where you are when you do each item.
On Your Phone or Computer
- Create a new playlist of your favorite soothing, feel-good music. Once school starts, you can listen to while you unwind after those first hectic days.
- Make a folder of favorite memes or GIFs to use in parent emails or team messages when the year gets rolling.
- This tip is close to my heart: Pick out some new books for storytime. This hand-selected list of the best All About Me books is a great starting point for early fall.
- Learn something new – Explore a topic that goes with one of your classroom
themes, or consider some new themes. Pick something you’re curious about so that it feels like fun! Make a note of cool facts, stories, or hands-on ideas that you might want to use with your students next year.
Around the House
- Stock up on freezer meals for back-to-school season. This summer, when you find yourself cooking something that freezes well, double the recipe and freeze half for later. I like to brown extra ground meat and onions and freeze that flat in a zip-top bag. Then later, I can defrost it and add jarred pasta sauce or a taco spice packet for a low-effort meal.
Hate to cook or plan meals? Explore meal prep services like Blue Apron (ad) or HelloFresh (ad).
- Prepare a week of outfits – plan outfits for the entire first week of school. This saves you the stress of choosing what to wear each morning. Plus, it’s fun to do now while you have plenty of time!
Hate shopping? I have had a really good experience with Stitch Fix (ad). I used them a few times a couple of years ago, and again just last week after I realized that the tops I had bought are still some of my go-to pieces. - Make your back-to-school beauty appointments now, especially if your favorite places book up far in advance.
Not into salon prices? Plan a DIY spa day with your teacher bestie!
Around Town
- Meet up with a co-worker or teacher friend to talk shop over coffee or beside the pool. You never know what little tips and useful gossip (as opposed to just gossipy gossip!) you’ll pick up. You may even get some more ideas about smart things for teachers to do in the summer!
- Break in new shoes – If you need to buy new school shoes, get them early enough to break them in. That way, you can (hopefully) avoid first-day blisters.
- Make a pick-me-up kit! Think about what will make you smile when you hit a slump. It could be encouraging words in an envelope or jar, a photo of last year’s class at the end of the year, a chocolate treat, a gift card to a local coffee or smoothie shop, or any other inspiring treats you can think of. Bonus points for making a kit for a friend or a new teacher, too!
Grab the Free Printable
The free printable is a cute beach scene that includes all ten of the things for teachers to do in the summer that I’ve detailed above. As you complete each item, color it in. You can also color the surroundings whenever you feel like it, or you can leave them untouched. Whatever makes you enjoy your hard-earned break more!
Click the link below to download the one-page free printable instantly:
Teacher Summer Bucket ListHappy Summer!
