Every teacher's summer should be fascinating in some aspect. In the summer we of course have time to regroup, plan, organize, evaluate, set goals, and rest. Yes, we could get a summer job and make more money, but we choose to use this time to enrich ourselves so that we are more knowledgeable teachers during the school year. If we aren’t learning new skills, seeing new sights, and gaining new knowledge, we will have nothing new to give our students in the fall. We believe that doing our job well is worth more than making some extra money. So, here is how we spent this summer.
1. My hubby sang in a voice recital, with one of our sons. He has been taking voice lessons all year so that he can become a better singer.
2. I played a duet with one of our sons at his piano recital, at his request. I have become a better pianist in the process, and I delighted in spending time with my son doing something we both enjoy.
3. We sang in a choir together at Shenandoah Christian Music Camp.
4. We went on tour with Oasis Chorale. These are some of my favorite people in the world, all put together in one choir. The music is tremendous, the conversations stimulating and thought-provoking, and the whole experience was just delightful.
5. We go on a bike ride almost every night with all of our children. Often we ride down to the Rosebud Car Wash, sit on the wall at the only intersection in town with a traffic light (which only blinks), and watch what is going on in Rosebud, which usually isn’t much. Our police department is very competent and alert. From this vantage point we can not only wave to our neighbors and friends, but we also have a bird’s eye view of any traffic offenders. We also have enriching conversations about anything and everything. Being together is a good place to be.
