What about summers "off"? This is the question teachers hear all the time when they’re thinking about making a career change. Today, Ali and JoDee sit down to debunk the myth that teachers have summers off, what teachers are actually doing during the summer, and things to consider if you make the move to a career where you don't have summers off!
For episode transcriptions visit: https://thegreatteacherresignation.buzzsprout.com
Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/
Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/
Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog
What about summers "off"? This is the question teachers hear all the time when they’re thinking about making a career change. Today, Ali and JoDee sit down to debunk the myth that teachers have summers off, what teachers are actually doing during the summer, and things to consider if you make the move to a career where you don't have summers off!
For episode transcriptions visit: https://thegreatteacherresignation.buzzsprout.com
Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/
Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/
Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog
Ali 0:00
All teachers are natural innovators, entertainers and problem solvers. They dream of growing old into the profession, teaching their kids kids. But sometimes career goals shift or change, and that makes opportunities outside of the classroom seem intangible questioning who am I, if I'm not a teacher? I'm your host, Alexandra Simon.
JoDee 0:31
And I'm your co host, JoDee Scissors.
Ali 0:34
This is The Great Teacher Resignation.
JoDee 0:43
Ali, I'm thinking about a career change.
Ali 0:47
But what about summers off? That is one of the first questions that I remember getting from teachers and friends when I told them I wasn't going back to teaching. What about summers off? Well, according to Education Week, that cited a National Center for Education Statistics, more than half of all K to 12 teachers in the US earn income from sources other than their base teaching salary. And teachers tend to dedicate more hours to that second job or side hustle over the summer. So today, we're going to debunk this idea of summers off.
JoDee 1:23
So we definitely know that summers off is a big myth. And we can say that because we've lived it. I would love to talk to someone who actually takes the whole summer off. But I definitely think it's a myth. It's something that people perceive as a free for all all summer, you have no responsibilities, but it's completely false. When you're a teacher, you are on a 10 month salary. So 10 months of salary over 12 months means that each month you are making less. So that means that teachers aren't technically paid. And a lot of people supplement their pay during that summer time. Another thing that happens in summer is professional development. We don't have time during the school year to really go to conferences, or attend the PD that is required by the state or district to keep your certifications. So all of those workshops happen during the summer. And most of them are paid out of pocket. Did you ever have to pay for any out of pocket?
Ali 2:23
Yes, I remember when I wanted to teach AP Spanish. And every school I would go to, because we moved a lot was like, well, are you certified? Have you taken the class? And every time I was like, no, I haven't taken the class yet. So finally, I decided that I would pay for the class. And I did it. It was a mess, you know, I had to like take time off. Actually had to go somewhere else because they weren't offered in my local area. So yes, not only do we take our summers to do these requirements, or to try to get ahead so that we can get different roles or different positions, but we pay for them. And then teachers also use this summer for things like writing their curriculum, curriculum mapping. Things that can't be completed during the school year, because there's other more pressing responsibilities, like grading papers. Or now with the teacher shortage, kmaybe you're covering other people's classes. And so you legitimately just don't have your planning time to get things done. I know a lot of teachers that planned over the summer that I'm friends with, and they're just they're really busy working on school stuff.
JoDee 3:24
And that's how they supplement part of their income is doing those type of things during the summer. You do get paid for, for leading those workshops. So it's evident that teachers work over the summer, for sure. Summers off and also just like teachers not working is part of the myth. Right?
Ali 3:42
Exactly. I think there's this notion that like teachers are lazy because they only work 10 months out of the year. And like then they don't have to work for a couple of months. But as you stated earlier, we are on a 10 month salary scale. So in some districts that I worked in, you only get paid for 10 months, like that's the way that it worked. And if you wanted the 12 paychecks, like you mentioned, you had to actually put in a form to request that. You weren't getting paid for the summer, they were just stretching your pay that you got for the 10 months into the summer. So it's just really important that people understand that. So I'm pretty sure we just debunked that whole summers off thing. But JoDee, I want to hear from you. Did you actually take the summers off? Like tell me what that looks like for you?
JoDee 4:27
So in my first years of teaching, I definitely did not take the summers off. I usually worked summer school for like four weeks. There was a lot of incentive to work summer school because the pay was really good for the short amount of time. And in the district I work in they had all the lesson plans, every single lesson that you were teaching during the summer. And those other weeks, I traveled. I'm a huge traveler. So I think I went to like Philly for a summer to get my T cell certification. So I could teach anywhere around the world. I went to Mexico and studied Spanish and then eventually went to Italy to use my certification that I got to teach English in Italy for a summer. But in between there, like I was working, and even when I was in Italy I was working and supplementing my income in that way. So definitely worked in the summers. And I think during that time, though, like, I didn't have a child, I was just like, freely doing whatever I wanted. I didn't have a human to be responsible for other than myself. So there was a lot of flexibility to do a lot of those things. And then over time, there were two major factors that really made summers off not work for me. And it was essentially like, as I begin to grow, I realized that traveling was like a huge part of my happiness, and binging it during the summer was not working for me. Like I needed that more consistently. And then the other thing was when my daughter came along, there were just certain obligations that you have as a parent that you don't have that summer flexibility. Or you need to be able to like pay for childcare. Or you need to not have childcare at all, and you need to forego all of the PD that you were planning because you would have to pay for childcare. You forego any of those like summer trips that you perhaps had planned. So over time, like just what I needed, I couldn't fit in there.
Ali 6:33
So it sounds like you definitely had varied summer experiences. Some summers, you worked, some summers you were able to travel, some you studied, you did PD. I was trying to reflect on my summers, as you're describing all of that, and my summers, I feel like every summer was different. There was no summer that was just like a complete summer off. I would say between like relocating, between caring for children perhaps, like or between working so that I could keep my children in childcare, or eventually, you know, when I had kids, I started working at the summer camp at my school because it was such a great camp. But it was also really expensive. And if I worked camp, my kids could go there for free when I was working. So I usually was able to carve out like one week where they would go to camp. I wouldn't work. I would just pay for it. And so we're just we're trying to catch up a lot. We're also trying to see our family over the summer. And you know, to your point, the summer is not the most ideal travel time. Things are really expensive. Also, summers really hot in most places. And I don't know about you, but like, I don't love New Orleans in the summer. So like, it's not always my ideal time. And so I think that, you know, while it's nice to have summers off, what comes with the teaching profession, is a lack of flexibility for time off year round. And so I think that really lets us transition a little bit into what does our life look like now, without summers off, now that we're both no longer in teaching? So, you know, what's the flip side of the equation?
JoDee 8:11
Well, I can say that my life right now is much more flexible. I mean, Ali, you and I are talking right now on Zoom and I'm in Orlando. I did not have to do any sub plans. I did not have to like arrange any type of special childcare or anything because we're good on that. Like, I was just able to, like get on a plane and go without having an immense amount of planning to do. So just flexibility in general is really great. And I'll speak on my behalf because I do consulting, and it allows me that flexibility. And so before, like you were saying like we're kinda like binging everything in the summer, and even planning during the summer. There wasn't a summer where I wasn't planning. And so now everything is just much more balanced. I can take vacation when I want. I can stay at home and be sick. You know, like I work from home. So I have much more balance. And I feel like my life is a little bit more sustainable, because I can stretch it across 12 months rather than two months. Does that make sense?
Ali 9:29
No, I think it makes a lot of sense that you're able to make these plans not all at one time. Right. And the binging. I mean, we all know that like binging anything is not healthy.
JoDee 9:41
I've been conditioned to have summers off since childhood. So like you go through primary, secondary school and then you go to college. My whole life was based on summers off. And then I chose a career that had summers off. So all the way up until 36 I had the same, like calendar year. So I was conditioned to think this is the only way to live. And then totally debunked that after making the transition. And a lot of people asked me, like, what about your summers off? And I was just like, I'm a busy person, I like to be busy. And to still, like, have things to do. Like I was never having my summers off, I was always doing something. I wasn't just like Netflix-ing and chilling. That's not my personality. And so transitioning opened up opportunities to be able to do all the things I want, and still get the benefits of vacation time, and time off. It just looks a little bit different.
Ali 10:44
Well, and I would say the majority of workers do not have summers off. So teaching is special in that you get summers off. But from what we both know, and from what the research says, teachers are not really off in the summer, right? They're either busy working, because they're trying to add to their salary, which is not enough to, you know, be able to provide for the things that they need. Or they're doing PD. Or they're going to conferences. Or they're planning. They're just not really off in the sense that what you think of. So there's that. But I do want to kind of be like the devil's advocate here in terms of summers off. So there are some legitimate concerns with no longer having summers off. Particularly if you're a parent. So if you have kids, you do have to look into childcare and summer camp options during the summer. And these can come at a pretty hefty additional cost depending on where you live. So definitely thinking about if you're going to take a job that's year round, and that's something that I did, can I cover the costs of those things in the summer? And depending on where you live, you know, summer can be eight weeks, it can be 10 weeks, it can be 12 weeks. So just really keeping in mind that the job that you take, you should be able to cover those costs. So that's a really good part of your planning.
JoDee 11:58
I'm glad you brought that up. Because in the summer, there were summers where my daughter would not go to camps, especially when she was much younger. You know, we might choose like two or three camps. But now she loves camp. And that's where she wants to be. She wants to be with her friends. And there's a cost to that. You know, I live in the city. So it's not that affordable to do that. But ensuring that I have the income to cover those costs, is also part of the planning process. Like if you're going to take the summers off, you have to be able to plan to supplement for childcare or camps.
Ali 12:33
Absolutely. And I think one of the blessings for me about having the job that I have now is that I'm actually able to afford more of the camps that are specialized for my kids. Whereas before, like I felt a little guilty about sending my kids to camp, if I was off in the summer as a teacher. I was like, Oh, well, I should just be with them, they should just go to camp for one week or two weeks, because that's just a waste. And really, I needed that time. I needed that time to like recoup from the teaching school year. But now, I mean, I do have to plan in advance. And like summer camp is pretty serious. Like, I think I'm signing up for a camp in like three days, that's not going to happen for a really long time. But you know, it's a balance. You just try to make the best of the situation that you're in. And we're all in different seasons. And so make the best of the season that you're in when it comes to these decisions. But the other thing you should consider is that it will seem like you have less, quote unquote, vacation days, right? Because if you count up all the days you technically have off over the summer and you have off over the various breaks, it'll seem like you have less vacation days. So I don't want to give up my vacation days. But I want to tell you that what's been really nice for me is that I'm not restricted to the school calendar now. So being able to take time off, when it's not a break means that I can go visit family. I can go see one of my friends for their birthday. That I would have never been able even like a special event. Like sometimes people have weddings on like three day weekends. And I don't know about your schools, but getting like the Friday off before a Monday holiday that was frowned down upon. So it might mean that I can't go to someone's wedding or that I'm gonna have to miss their rehearsal dinner or whatever. So I think having that flexibility and when you want to take your vacation, I really appreciate that. I've found that as a family of four I can get much better deals if I'm not traveling only during the peak travel times. I am fortunate that our school district here has like kind of a lot of breaks, like we have Mardi Gras break, we have fall break. So that's not like traditional travel times and I don't have to worry about my school calendar not matching up with my children's school calendar.
JoDee 14:45
That is such a good point because I think my last year teaching, my daughter and I were on different schedules because we were in different school districts. And that was so tough to do that. But you know what I wish someone had given me as a young teacher, or a young person just in general, is like, you know how there's a scope and sequence of curriculum? And you can kind of see like the trajectory of it. I wish someone had showed me like a scope and sequence of life between like 20 and 50 of costs that you accumulate as you become a parent, because it impacts how much you desire in your salary. And how you can offset those costs. So like, going to camps, like I would have never imagined, as a young person, sending my child to camp every week in the summer, and having to pay for that like that was never like, in my brain to do that. Or even the thought that like, you can possibly one day, take summers off. You don't have to teach every summer to supplement your income. Like, I wish there was some sort of like life scope and sequence that could help people understand that as you grow, what costs you could possibly accumulate, and how that helps your decisions.
Ali 16:13
Yeah, I think it's just kind of a lessons learned situation, like we learn these lessons probably a little bit later than we want to. And I think, you know, one of the benefits of being outside of teaching for me has been looking for roles that fit within the parameters of what I want as a parent, like how I want to spend time with my children. And so I could have perhaps looked for positions that, you know, might not have required full time employment. That was actually my first job outside of teaching was I looked for a part time role, where I could actually work my hours when my kids were exactly in school. And so I had the flexibility like to drop them off and then to pick them up. I could have looked for a role that you know, might have had extra time off. You can think about those things. But you also shouldn't forget about the big thing of of the summers off. And that as you're making a transition just to have a plan, because that will help you so much and, and making that transition, I think, really smoother. And also note, like, one thing I've said before on this podcast is that if you miss teaching, and you really miss your summers off, you can go back. And I struggled. I did miss the summers off. I don't know, I don't know if you missed them off. But I actually do miss the summers off until the summer comes. Like I'm really stressed out about the summer, and then the summer comes, and it's just not as fun as I remember. So I just really try to embrace my weekends. I try to embrace, you know, time off here and there as I can over the summer. And make the most out of the summers in a much different way.
JoDee 17:42
I don't miss the summers, because I feel like I still have a summer like, I feel like I'm not missing out on anything. Because summer, to me still feels like summer. You know, you're like sunkissed. And there's just certain summer activities. And there are certain things that we do every single summer. So I still get that feeling of summer. But for some reason, it's just a little bit more balanced. And I don't think it's the feeling of summer has ever gone away. And honestly, like anybody that takes the full summer off and can embrace all of that, like, amazing. But if that is something you think you will totally miss, then you're right, you can always go back or work at like a community college or a university or in some way, you know? Try to figure out a way to do that.
Ali 18:32
I think that was really great advice. I was trying to actually think when I was telling you to look for roles that would fit within maybe having extra time off that, yes, community colleges are a great place universities, the work that I do now I work with some community colleges. And I remember sending an email towards mid end of December. And the person wrote me back and said, Today's our last day. We're not going to be open again until the new year. And so there are places that you can go as a former teacher, that can still give you that flexibility. And also just talk to your employers, like there's different cultures and work environment and time off. I know some offices that actually just they close the week between, for example, Christmas and New Year's, like nobody's in the office.
JoDee 19:14
Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. What about winter break? Between Christmas and the New Year, there's not a lot of tough work being handled in between those weeks with any of the organizations that I work with. I still have to work because I'm a contractor. But it's more balanced. I don't feel so restricted, or there are a lot of demands put on me during that time. Not at all. Everybody wants to be respectful of everybody's holiday time and their time off. And so I think that's one thing that I didn't know before was even the winter break, it's still flexible. Even though I'm still working during that time, I'm not working every single day, and I'm working lightly. And it doesn't feel like I'm missing out on something.
Ali 19:59
Yeah, I think you just adjust when things change in your life. You just make adjustments. And you and I both had to navigate this at different points. But it's something that I really felt strongly that we needed to debunk this myth of summers off because we all know that not every teacher takes the full summer off. In fact, most of them do not. So if you're a teacher, enjoy this this next summer coming up. Maybe make it the best summer yet. And if you're not, and you're you're looking into transitioning, I know our first episode for this season was letter of intent to not return. Think about that. Maybe you want to build in time to your transition to have one last summer off. Or maybe you're just ready to go. You're ready to start your new career. And so just keep in mind the different things that we discussed in today's episode about summers off.
If you liked The Great Teacher Resignation, give us a five star rating and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Audible. Today's episode was written and recorded by me Alexandra Simon, and my co host JoDee Scissors. Executive produced by Teacher Brain. Produced and edited by Emily Porter. Original Music: Emoji by Tubebackr. Special thanks to our sponsor, Paper Planes Ed.