Summer Vacation?

I get the following statement all the time: "The only reason anyone in their right mind would become a teacher is for the summers off." As this being my first "summer off" I have already established the very typical, very accurate, three step summer system.

Step One- Holy Cow; It's already June, what just happened?

This involves the first two or three weeks of summer. Let me stop, reflect and analyze what on earth just occurred. How did 9 months already pass and what did I accomplish in that time? What did I do with students that worked; any lessons especially successful? Any so incredibly terrible I can't remember why I decided to do it in the first place?

Now comes the list making. Everyone knows that a successful teacher, to some degree (though looking at some classrooms it is obvious that it is really deep down), has some innate organizing ability. This is when all your freshest ideas are written, labeled and carried out. Some serious "you just wait until August" epiphanies are hatched.

Step Two - Oh yea, it's June!

This next step is quite simple; we come to the ever satisfying realization that it is indeed summer and we are in fact on vacation. For those with two or three jobs or maybe a millionaire spouse we spend two or three weeks touring Europe. For the other 99% we enjoy a couple well deserved weeks of rest. Read a trashy novel, catch up on some highly interesting Netflix or simply spend with your family. This step is also where the aforementioned question comes into play. Yes, we do take time off in the summer. Yes, we enjoy our two-three weeks of mind-numbing uselessness. Tell me; What do your vacation days look like?

Step Three - Open House is only weeks away.

Finally comes the inevitable task of preparing to do it all again. Hopefully that sounds more like, "I'm so excited to get started for next year." and less like "Oh crap, those kids again;" he latter being another reason for our lovely opening question. For the remaining weeks of summer, we pour ourselves into research, research, research. We put down the trashy novel and pick up a Henry Wong masterpiece, we stop watching Season 3 of Orange is the New Black on Netflix and begin watching YouTube videos of lessons that worked and we steal a couple hours after bedtime to put it all together. 

So there you go; the evolution of the "summer vacation". As I am currently in Step Three, the first bit of research I decided to pick up is "Teach like a Pirate" by Dave Burgess. Seeing as how the first quote is by Johnny Depp, I may have chosen wisely.