Summer Dreams

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I’m taking part in the weekly Slice of Life Challenge sponsored by Ruth and Stacey over at Two Writing Teachers, where teachers write and share each Tuesday. Join in yourself or head over to check out what’s happening with other slicers. If you’re taking part in the SOL, leave a link to your post. I’d love to read it.

 

When I talked to my students about possibly reading something over the summer, many of them looked at me as if I had sprouted two heads.  For the weeks leading up to the end of school, I offered opportunities for summer reading:  connecting with others on GoodReads, joining the library’s summer reading program, downloading free audiobooks from Sync YA, commenting on the New York Times Learning Blog, giving away free books, doing book speed dating to discover tempting titles.  Some students opened to the possibility, but others insisted that they had never read a book during the summer and weren’t about to start now.

Many of them seem to think that reading and summer fun are mutually exclusive.   If they chose to read, it would mean that they couldn’t do anything else.  Even though I do read a lot during the summer, it’s not the only thing I do.  I love the beginning of summer because the possibilities seem endless.  I know I will never do everything that I dream of at the beginning of summer, but I still enjoy imagining that I can.  Here are just a few of the things I dream of this summer.

  • Yes, my summer reading might be out of hand.

    Yes, my summer reading might be out of hand.

    Take part in the #bookaday challenge on Twitter.  I haven’t made it yet, but the challenge pushes me to work through my towering TBR pile.  It has gotten quite out of hand lately.

  • Renew my passion for teaching with Advanced Institute with the IUS Writing Project.  This year Tom Romano will join us.
  • Catch up on my scrapbooking.  I finally finished 2009 yesterday.  Isn’t time travel great?
  • Organize and clean out a couple of closets.  I see a field trip to Ikea or The Container Store in my future.
  • Visit the Wisconsin Dells for vacation with my extended family–swimming, hiking, playing games with my nephews.
  • Complete a sprint triathlon on June 8.  My goal is finish and not be dead last, heavy emphasis on not being dead!
  • Attend EdCamp Indy and hopefully nErDcamp in Battle Creek, MI.
  • Take part in Teachers Write again.  I don’t know what I will write, but I will write.
  • Finish the remodeling project in our dining room.  I need to move the light fixture, buy Roman shades for the windows, and unpack my grandmother’s china to put in the new cabinets.
  • Build some furniture for our back patio out of pallets.  First I have to talk my husband into letting me take on this project.  For some reason, he might be afraid it’s more than I can handle and he will be left to finish it.
  • Drive with my brother across the country as he moves from Edenton, NC, to Phoenix, AZ.
  • Watch Dr. Who.  I’ve never seen it, but from all I’ve heard, I expect to love it.  I’ll start with season one of the newest version.
  • Finally check out Pinterest.  I’ve been resisting because I’m afraid I’ll spend way too much time there, but I have a stack of books that are falling apart.  I would love to turn them into craft projects.  I hate to just throw them away.
  • Explore new apps for the iPad that I can use for school.  I’ve found Vittle, that looks cool.
  • Incorporate more multimedia into my blog–movie trailers, podcasts, and more.
  • Research Genious Hour and talk my principals (and maybe a few other teachers) into letting me do it.

What are your dreams and plans for the summer?

12 Comments on Summer Dreams

  1. Ramona
    May 29, 2013 at 12:43 am (11 years ago)

    I’ll start my summer dreaming in three weeks. And I do love the sense that there’s enough time to do it all. It lasts for about two weeks.
    Dig out Okay for Now from the bottom of that book pile. I loved it!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      May 29, 2013 at 11:36 am (11 years ago)

      There are so many good books in my stacks. I hardly know where to start! Actually, I’m starting with short, fast reads so I feel like I’m making a dent!

      Reply
  2. Shannon Clark
    May 28, 2013 at 11:39 pm (11 years ago)

    LOVE summers for getting caught up on stuff and doing new things and exploring and reading and …. 🙂

    Tomorrow will be spend painting spare bedroom to move my husband into. LOL! Just so he can sleep in there during the day-he works night shift and has our bedroom darkened. I told him I was about to start having to take antidepressants because it feels like a dark cave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

    I start the Writing Project Monday-6/3 so will be BUSY with that the entire month of June. So excited! 🙂

    Shannon
    http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      May 29, 2013 at 11:36 am (11 years ago)

      Enjoy your time with the Writing Project! I always look forward to reconnecting with AI every summer.

      Reply
  3. JenniferM
    May 28, 2013 at 9:50 pm (11 years ago)

    oh, what lovely dreams! (Glad I’m not the only one who makes WAY too many plans as I overestimate all the “free time” I’ll have!” I hope you get to fulfill many of your dreams this summer! 🙂

    http://ihabloespanglish.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      May 29, 2013 at 11:40 am (11 years ago)

      Even if I don’t get to them all, I will have fun trying!

      Reply
  4. writekimwrite
    May 28, 2013 at 5:58 pm (11 years ago)

    Ahhh…I love all those possibilities! As for me I am looking forward to the last two days withthe firsties and having my classroom organized enough to leave! 🙂 Then my many possibilities will start to sprout. Reading and writing for sure.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      May 28, 2013 at 6:49 pm (11 years ago)

      It took me two days to organize the room for leaving–and that included shoving stuff willy nilly at the end. Now I’m back in to organize the book room. I don’t think it’s been done since the last textbook adoption six or more years ago.

      Reply
  5. Nanc
    May 28, 2013 at 3:28 pm (11 years ago)

    Love that you have a list of so many plans…I want to discover Pintrest (sp?) also because I love dreaming that I’m crafty, which I am not. I’m going to get better on my new I-Pad and I’m going to be trying out my first book on it…in a few minutes…after the commenting:)

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      May 28, 2013 at 3:37 pm (11 years ago)

      I can relate to pretending to be crafty. I like to play around with stuff, but it doesn’t always turn out the way I envision. Oh well.

      Reply
  6. Ellen Spears
    May 28, 2013 at 3:00 pm (11 years ago)

    I love all the ways and avenues of your planning. Makes me think about taking something on this summer – even though I will be working.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      May 28, 2013 at 3:35 pm (11 years ago)

      Well, I didn’t put in all the things that I still plan to do at and for school. I do enjoy the flexibility of summers off to try out new projects. I always dream bigger than is possible!

      Reply

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