Sleep in -- check
Relax -- check
Catch up on sewing -- check
Creative time -- check
Read -- check
Relax -- check
Catch up on sewing -- check
Creative time -- check
Read -- check
Plant garden for the first time in five years -- check
Make vocabulary slides -- check
I've spent the last several weeks working 4-12 hours a day (depending on whether or not my children are home or out working) on all of my vocabulary slides for next year -- four grades' worth. Combined with the three years of work I've already done, I'll have about three thousand slides for a full year of vocabulary lessons for seven different grades when I'm finished. These have saved me much time during the school year, and the students' grades improve when I use this method for spelling and vocabulary.
It's hard work, but once they are done, I have them FOREVER and all I have to do is to click a button and my students can see the word, a definition, a sentence, and a picture to help them remember the word, all on one slide. I first used this method with my sixth graders a few years ago, and it worked so well that I've done it for grades 6-12. (I've also shared these with a teacher who doesn't have a projector in the classroom, and she printed them out on 8.5 x 11 pieces of paper and hung them in the classroom.)
I am not a computer genius, but I can easily use Google docs, and that is SUPER easy. I try to use history topics as part of the sentences as often as I can, and fine art and scripture as often as I can.
I have found this to be one of the best uses of my teacher prep time because I can use them again and the results have been well worth my efforts. My students' grades skyrocketed when I began using these three years ago.
Happy summer teacher prep time to you!
