We’re not the first people to say this: Teachers earn and deserve every second they get to relax. That means you—the teacher reading this, the teacher who spends countless hours creating a brighter future for young people—are entitled to a vacation.
Vacation (Vay. Kay. Shun.)
noun
1. An allotted period of recreation and leisure.
2. A necessary but sometimes neglected event that enables teachers to be the best versions of themselves.
Now that we’ve updated the vocabulary, the question is: which teacher vacation is ideal for you? Take our quiz to find out.
It’s Saturday afternoon. You’ve completed all grading and prep work. What’s your ideal scenario right now?
Pick one of these.
How do you want to spend the next five days?
Choose which book you most want to read.
Which of these stressors would you banish first?
What do you love most about teaching?
Can We Guess Your Perfect Teacher Vacation?
Staycation
Hey, nothing wrong with the oasis you make right there on the couch. What could possibly go wrong when you’re binging entertainment that’s been gathering dust in your streaming queue? With staycations, you don’t add more stress that makes you want a vacation from your vacation. Instead, you get to explore your city, catch up with friends, and have thoughtful conversations with the people you care about. Also, you can pretty much nap whenever, so that’s always a plus.
Camping
Look, no one is immune to the positive and negative impacts that our various gadgets have had on our society. Perhaps you share a screen addiction with your students, and who could blame you? That dopamine feels pretty good in the moment. So, for your vacation, maybe it’s best to cut the digital cord and get out there amid the trees. Can you hear the wind whistling through the branches? Can you already see the fire pop and sizzle? This is where you belong.
City Escape
The concrete jungle calls you. Don’t you just love the energy a new city experience brings? Can you not get enough of the cafés and bistros on every corner? Isn’t it great to walk into a museum on a whim and spend hours learning and marveling about objects of beauty and significance? Yeah, the city escape sounds like a good plan for you. So, where are you going?
New England
There’s nothing quite like those whisper-quiet little hamlets strewn throughout New England. Many a city-dweller visits these towns in an effort to get away from the ruckus of urban life. If you’re a teacher, it doesn’t matter where you live—your life is hectic! That means a trip to Vermont or New Hampshire might be your next stop.
Beach Getaway
The beach isn’t only for spring breakers and Jimmy Buffett fans (affectionately known as Parrot Heads). With all the hecticness of the teacher life, there’s nothing quite like looking out onto blue waters and clear skies that stretch into eternity. Think of it this way: The beach is where you go to sit down and be a human being. Isn’t that an amazing concept? After a year of ongoing, back-to-back responsibilities, we hope you take delight in the satisfaction of doing absolutely nothing.
Take Care of Yourself!
If you want to be the best teacher you can be, self-care is one of the most vital routes you can take. Check out our self-care PD designed to help you feel great so that you can be an exceptional teacher:
Self-Care Strategies for Teachers: Teaching requires you to manage others’ feelings and behaviors every day, but are you taking time to manage your own? Discover strategies for investing in yourself so you can create a sustainable career in education.
Achieving a Work-Life Balance in Teaching: As with most jobs, teaching responsibilities can infiltrate your entire life if you let them. Having a work–life balance means feeling engaged, effective, and satisfied in every aspect of life. Learn how you can be present and effective at school and beyond.
Stress Reduction for Better Teaching: Between lesson planning, communicating with parents, and working with colleagues, even the most practiced teacher can become overwhelmed. Explore how stress can impact your teaching and your health and how to manage your stress effectively.
Becoming a Calm, Happy Teacher: Leave burnout, stress, and frustration behind for good. Get proven psychological tools to help you create a calmer, more balanced teaching career so you can be more present and energetic in every area of your life.
The Growth Mindset: Fostering Resilience and a Love of Learning: Mindset is a buzzword in today’s educational landscape, but it often addresses only students’ mindsets, not educators’. Explore your internalized beliefs about learning and your students’ abilities, and learn how to structure your classroom around a culture of perseverance and opportunity.
Advancement Courses offers more than 280 online, self-paced PD courses covering both foundational topics and emerging trends in K–12 education. Courses are available for both graduate and continuing education credit for your salary advancement or recertification needs.
Choose from 280+ online, self-paced continuing education courses for teacher salary advancement and recertification. Available for either CEU/clock hours or in partnership with regionally-accredited universities for graduate credit.