Inspired by @rachelj blogging about her #summer10, the 10 things she would like to achieve over the summer, I sat down to have a think about what my top ten would be. I do start each summer with an idea of the various things I plan to achieve, both personally and professionally, but don’t commit these thoughts to paper.
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The original post can be found here.
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I also find that the start of the new year tramples roughshod over any chance to reflect on my successes (or otherwise). As a relatively new tweacher, I have become involved in#teacher5aday through @martynreah which, along with a challenging 18 months personally, has inspired me to take more time to look after my own resilience and wellbeing. The #summer10 seemed like a good place to continue what I have started and to come back and reflect on it at the end of the summer.
So here they are…
1. Spend quality time with my family – going to the park, visiting the zoo, riding on a train, playing in the back garden, picking fruit and vegetables, watching a movie, baking a cake, writing a song – whatever that my two small boys (and one much larger one) fancy. During term time our lives are hectic and, while we do spend time as a family, much of the time we are bound by the clock, bedtime, work schedules, swimming lessons and so on. The time afforded by the holidays to really slow down and enjoy some freedom is precious.
2. Start and maintain a blog (I hope that’s not cheating!) including coming back to reflect on how I’ve done with this list. A blog is something I’ve considered doing a number of times and always bottled out – no more!
3. Read some books purely for pleasure. Growing up, I was a bookworm, but most of the reading I do these days is work related in some way. I want to lose myself in some great stories again.
4. Research – I will be completing my M.Ed in the next academic year and need to finalise my topic/research question, do some reading and get an initial introduction and outline ready to submit in early September.
5. Exercise – I have tentatively dipped my toe back into the water with running (despite being ridiculously unfit) and need to up the ante on this so I get back to running regularly again.
6. Plan (this is my work-related one) – we are due (ssshhhh) an inspection in 2016 so I need to make sure I have my strategic ducks all lined up in a row ready for the start of the school year.
7. Plan (again!), well continue to plan, the next steps in my career and continue to develop my thinking around Leadership (with a capital L).
8. Catch up with friends. Those people who live outside the world of education and keep me grounded but who I often don’t see for months at a time as our schedules just don’t match.
9. Prepare for #PedagooHampshire. I was surprised and flattered to be asked to present but now I have to get myself organised, and figure out how to get there!
10. Travel. I am taking my train-mad oldest son away for a few days next week, just the two of us, to visit the National Railway Museum in York. All four of us have a 12 days booked in France towards the end of the summer – relaxing in the sun and recharging the batteries. Plus wine and cheese, of course.
It’s shaping up to be a fabulous summer – what have you got planned?
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