The not-so-glamorous part of being a teacher in the summer: we
have to read a ton of books to keep up with our students and be
able to make recommendations for their independent reading in
the fall! I'm re-reading Cassie Clare's Mortal Instruments series
of YA urban fantasy; trying to brush up on historical books though.
Living in a town that is something of a tourist destination in the
summer is fun - any day is a good day to go to the lake, and
if we're too tired to cook, well, let's hit up the diner instead.
I'm trying to be really committed to healthy living, and that's
easier in summer, too - loving fresh fruits and veggies with
every meal from breakfast to dinner. Nature is good to us.
And I got my "summer haircut." What do you think?
I am so blessed to have a little free time - I can spend a whole
day thrift store shopping if I want, or hang out by the pool.
Summer so far is easy, colorful, and it's treating me very well.
As much as I want to sympathize with you, being force to read books over the summer while you're not working doesn't sound so bad. Although I could see have being forced to read a book instead of wanting to is not as fun.
ReplyDeleteAnd on a slightly different note, I'm really loving the mortal instruments books. I finally picked up the newest one and now can't wait to read it.
Maybe my post was badly worded - no one but myself is forcing me to read anything this summer, but I *feel like* I have to be able to read a large volume of books to be able to teach well in a workshop-style classroom- sometimes there are 50+ books at once being read in my room, and the more I read the more I can help those kids who "can't find a book" (a.k.a. don't want to find a book, or have no idea what their own reading preferences are). I'm focusing on contemporary YA, because last year I read so much fantasy and dystopian that I got a bit out of touch with students who prefer realistic fiction. I'm also reading all the books that I own or that were in my classroom library about the Holocaust, both fiction and nonfiction, because "The Diary of Anne Frank" is a big unit in eighth grade, and trying to check out some prose novels and graphic novels to mix things up a bit.
DeleteFantasy is still my favorite genre, though- I can't help it! I just finished City of Fallen Angels and I'm looking forward to the next one - Cassandra Clare sure does know how to write a cliffhanger ending. WHY JACE WHY?