
This post originally appeared on the blog The Secondary English Coffee Shop.

We encourage and invite all teachers, even if they are still in school or if they’ve already started their next school year, to join in on the fun.

Addie Williams is looking forward to the challenge. She said, “I work really hard to maintain a life/work balance and so I’m super excited to be part of this challenge. Teachers work so hard to help others; I think it’s important to take time to help each other and help ourselves unwind and connect.”
Presto Plans recognizes all the hard work teachers put in during the year. She said, “Teachers are often such selfless people. I think these challenges will be the perfect way for teachers to flip the switch and make a conscious effort to focus on their own mental and physical health.”
The SuperHERO Teacher is looking forward to connecting with others during the challenge. She said, “Because teaching is such a collaborative profession, it’s exciting to come together in other ways outside of the classroom — like how we debrief and celebrate our much deserved time.”
The Daring English Teacher can’t wait to see all of the posts teachers come up with during the challenge. She said, “Teachers work so hard during the year, that it’s important to take some time to ourselves during the summer. It’s so exciting to connect with teachers from all around the world during this challenge; I’m eager to see how we relax and spend our time out of the classroom.”
Nouvelle ELA knows that teachers’ summers can sometimes slip by. She’s excited for the challenge and said, “Sometimes, I ‘waste’ my summer and it’s gone before I know it! I’m excited for this challenge to create intentional moments of relaxation and reflection.”
Stacey Lloyd is looking forward to celebrating with other teachers. She said, “This challenge is a wonderful way to harness the joy of social media: to connect with fellow teachers; to celebrate each other’s moments of relaxation and rest; and to garner enthusiasm for the upcoming year.”
Secondary Sara is excited for the challenge to begin. She said, “Any time teachers can share ideas, stories, and inspiration is a win-win for everyone, and this is such a unique way to get the best of all worlds this summer.”
Room 213 is ready for the challenge. She said, “Summer is not just ‘time off’ for teachers; it’s necessary recharging time so we can be the best we can be for our students in the fall. This challenge will be a fun way to focus on things for you, from time with friends, great books, and delicious foods. I can’t wait to see all the ways that teachers will embrace summer.”
The Classroom Sparrow is looking forward to connecting with other teachers. She said, “I think summer is the perfect time for a teacher challenge because we can actually focus on ourselves and our plans for next year, without having to worry about marking and prepping for our classes. I’m exited about the challenge because I enjoy connecting with different teachers from all over. I know this challenge is doing to inspire me to do and try new things that have been on my ‘to-do’ list for quite some time.”
We truly feel that this will be such a fun way to connect with other teachers during the summer months, and we hope you join us.
The Secondary English Coffee Shop is a group of 9 highly skilled and passionate teachers sharing ideas and resources for teaching English language arts in middle and high school classrooms. Read their blog and connect with them on Instagram and Facebook to discover creative teaching ideas, free resources, and ready-to-use teaching materials for ELA.