What teachers do during the summer

To the non-teacher, the world of an educator looks idyllic. The main reason for this view is the perceived teaching schedule. Most school systems operate between 180-200 days a year with each school day lasting between seven and eight hours. In the past, the ideal benefit to any aspiring teacher was the promise of “summers off.

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But do teachers really have their summers free?

In reality, very few teachers enjoy a full summer of vacation. There are several reasons for this.

Summer School

For a few teachers, the economic reality of their position prevents them from having the summer free. Most school systems offer teachers the choice of being paid on a ten or twelve-month plan. Regardless of the pay plan choice a teacher makes, several opt for the opportunity to teach summer school. Generally, the session lasts 4-5 weeks with four 5-hour days, paying between $22 and $30 per hour.

Professional Development

Teachers are required to obtain licenses in order to be certified. Teaching licenses are renewable and require a set amount of professional development hours to be completed for renewal. School systems, as well as individual buildings conduct professional development training for their teachers during the academic year. However, the sessions are periodic and usually can’t sustain the load required for re-certification.

For this reason, many teachers use the summer months to build their points for re-licensure. This can be completed through coursework or by attending extra training. In most states, 180-300 classroom hours are required and there is a three to five year license period in which the hours must be earned. Teachers who are working toward an advance degree can usually satisfy the coursework simply by counting their post-graduate credits, but this requiring taking one or two classes each summer.

National Board Certification

A few teachers have used their summers to earn National Board Certification status.  The process is grueling and requires 150-300 hours of work developing lesson units worthy of advanced achievement. Because of the time and effort involved with earning National Board certification, the seminars are usually held on a statewide basis during the summer months.

Standardized Test Committees

Because of the availability of teachers during the summer months, states and school systems use this time to hold professional conferences. One example of this is the opportunity to work on a statewide standardized test committee. Individuals selected by their principal and school superintendent enjoy the experience of studying future tests to be used in the standardized test process. One committee may review the test content for validity, while another committee may observe the sensitivity and bias of the content being used for a standardized test, particularly on the English exams.

Department Chair Duties

Finally, some teachers take on the added responsibility of serving as the department chair for their group. While the position is financially supplemented, it does require one or two extra weeks of in-school duties, conducting such duties as book inventory, curriculum development, and school leadership activities, such as interviewing new teacher candidates. Additional training within the school system may also be required.