Summer of Renewal

I've been on summer break for a couple of weeks now and I'm actually in a much better place than I have been the last 2 summers. This year was hard, to be sure, but the word I keep replaying in my mind is renewal. It's time for a summer of renewal. 

You may not be in the same place as I am right now, and that's ok. Last summer all I could manage to write at the end of the year was this post: we did it. I had nothing else to say. Once I was able to clear some of the cobwebs, last summer was a summer of picking up the pieces and trying to make some sense out of the mess my life seemed to have become. If that's where you are now you are definitely not alone- you can read about how I tried to get myself back to a better place in my emotional, social, and physical well-being, and my curriculum, digital files, and classroom space at work, in this series.

For me, though, I have a lot more emotional and mental energy this year and I'm ready to get recharged and refreshed for next school year- I'm ready for renewal. I'm not saying I think the pandemic is over- my local area actually has really high numbers of covid cases right now and we're still taking a lot of precautions- but it's time for me to stop wallowing, stop fumbling around in the dark. We may have to go back to more masks, or social distancing, or even online teaching at some point but I've been there, I've done that, and as much as I may not like it I can do it again.

For me renewal this summer means getting back to the things I love, the things that bring me joy that I had gotten out of the habit of doing or was forced to let go of. It means taking the fresh ideas I've learned through the pandemic and infusing them into my old best practices, both in my professional and my personal life. It means reclaiming my sense of purpose, and working towards a renewed passion and energy instead of just living in a constant state of triage.

In the last few weeks I've shared some of my favorite new ideas that I'm excited to take with me into next school year. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing some of the old ideas and practices I can't wait to reclaim or recommit to, both at home and at school, and ways I'm rethinking or revising them. Maybe some of them will be things you want to try out yourself next year! If you're in a good place to do so, I hope you'll join me in this summer of renewal- and come follow me on Instagram to hear me talk about my thought process more in some videos, and be a part of the conversation to let me know how you're processing this summer.