A Teacher’s Summer: Rest. Revive. Ready.

I imagine you have heard this, and while you may roll your eyes at the dad joke, no doubt most teachers look forward to this time off. Some long for it! The daily routine of lesson planning, assessments, meetings, and classroom instruction and management can be rewarding, fulfilling, and wonderful, but also exhausting. There were times in my teaching career when it felt like my head was spinning with everything I had on my plate. Then, as April and May approached, my calendar was marked, and the countdown to the last day of school commenced.

Summer is one of the great benefits of the teaching profession—a benefit so very needed. But is it merely a time to crash just long enough to be thrown back into the grind of the next school year? Or is it a time to rest, refresh, and revive our passion for God, our students, and our profession?

Consider three ways that a Christian teacher can have a successful summer.

1. Rest

While rest may be the most obvious point, it is often the most neglected. Many things consume our time in the summer months: family, travel, church activities, sports, summer jobs, and on and on we go. We plan and are intentional about many things. How intentional are we about giving our bodies the rest they need?

God takes rest very seriously! Genesis 2:2–3 (KJV) says,

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.

God certainly did not need rest, but he was intentional about setting an example for his people. He blessed and sanctified a day of rest. It was to be set apart, and there were strict consequences if God’s people did not obey (see Exodus 31:14–15; Numbers 15:32–36; Jeremiah 17:27; Ezekiel 20:12–13).

Jesus also intended for his disciples to rest. Mark 6:31 (KJV) says,

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Our Creator and Savior clearly makes rest a priority in Scripture! What will you do to intentionally set apart time to get the rest you need during the summer months?

2. Revive

Revive yourself in the Lord. The busyness of our daily teaching schedules, devotion to our families, church commitments, and extracurricular activities can fill up our time to the extreme. These are not bad things; in fact, they are good. The problem is when our schedules are so full of good things that the best thing gets put on the back burner. God ends up getting the leftovers. When our relationship with the Lord is not the priority, everything else in our lives goes out of whack. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:33 (KJV) that we are to seek “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

During the summer, your schedule might be more flexible. Use this flexibility to establish godly habits, starting with a consistent, daily time in communion with the Lord. James 4:8 (KJV) says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” Let this consistency of seeking the Lord spill over into the school year. If taken seriously, this is a game changer.

What will you do to keep God the priority of your life this summer?

About three years ago, I began writing Scripture as part of my daily time with the Lord. It has revolutionized my walk with God. It slows me down and makes me pay attention to every word of Scripture. I began seeing so many things that I had never paid attention to before. God began changing and shaping my heart. As I write, I often pray Scripture back to God, offering his Word back to him. Then, as I sit still and listen, God speaks through his Word in ways that amaze me over and over! What will you do to keep God the priority of your life this summer?

3. Ready

Finally, plan times to work ahead for the next school year. I remember putting this off most summers. June would begin, and the middle of August would seem so distant. Summer was wonderful—until August 1 showed up in the blink of an eye and I hadn’t accomplished anything for the next school year. This created major stress, and no one was to blame but me.

I suggest dedicating a portion of each week to preparing for the upcoming school year. Plan it and build it into your summer routine. What should you do during this appointed time? Start with lesson planning (scope and sequence, then weekly plans, then daily lessons if possible). When doing this, reflect! What worked last school year and what did not? The goal should always be student engagement. Were they engaged with this set of lessons? Make any necessary changes and improvements.

Another important part of readiness is to immerse your incoming students, parents, and colleagues in prayer! Make a list of your students and their parents and pray for them by name. Pray for your colleagues in the same fashion. James 4:2 (KJV) says, “Yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” Pray specifically, in the will of God, and with a purpose!

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15–16 KJV)

Our summer is time given to us by God, and we must redeem it. We must use it to honor and please him. I encourage you as educators to redeem the summertime. Our God and our students deserve our best!