As the school year draws to a close, teachers often find themselves balancing relief with anticipation for the months ahead. While summer vacation is commonly viewed as a time for rest and relaxation, it also offers a unique opportunity for personal growth and creative renewal. At Curiosity 2 Create, we believe summer can be both enjoyable and profoundly productive for educators, ensuring they return to the classroom with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Here are five practical tips to help you make the most of your summer break and prepare for the new school year with excitement:

Incorporate Self-Care

Utilize the skills we teach our students—such as curiosity and deeper thinking—to refresh yourself over the summer. Balance professional development with self-care activities that nourish your mind and body. This approach helps you avoid burnout and return to school rejuvenated. 

Make time for activities that relax and inspire you, whether it's reading a book, taking a long walk, or indulging in a favorite hobby.

Nurture Meaningful Connections

Spend time with friends and colleagues discussing topics that bring joy and intellectual stimulation. Engage in conversations about shared interests, favorite books, personal challenges, and what inspires your love for learning. 

These interactions outside of the school environment help you relax, recharge, and reconnect with your passions, fostering a sense of community and support.

Disconnect and Unwind

Allocate regular periods to disconnect from technology and social media. Enjoy quiet moments outdoors, practice mindfulness or meditation, or simply embrace moments of solitude to recharge your mental and emotional energy. 

Allow your mind to wander and explore the wonders of the world around you, providing a refreshing break from the constant digital engagement.

Engage in Creative Expression

Tap into your creative side through activities such as painting, writing, playing music, or crafting. Engaging in creative expression allows you to unwind, express yourself freely, and discover new sources of inspiration. 

Creativity is a powerful tool for personal renewal and joy, helping you return to teaching with fresh ideas and a renewed spirit.

Practice Mindful Movement

Incorporate activities like yoga, tai chi, or mindful walking into your daily routine. These practices promote physical well-being, reduce stress, and enhance mental clarity, fostering a sense of balance and relaxation. Mindful movement helps you stay grounded and present, preparing you for the challenges of the upcoming school year with a clear and focused mind.

Summer is not just a break from the classroom; it's an opportunity to rejuvenate your soul and rediscover the joy in your profession. By incorporating these tips into your summer routine, you'll be ready to return to the classroom with excitement and a renewed sense of purpose.

About the authors:
  Katie Trowbridge, President & CEO of Curiosity 2 Create, has over two decades’ experience as a teacher and mentor. Before becoming a teacher,  Katie worked in marketing, public relations, and event planning. Throughout her career, Katie has focused on helping her clients and students find their best selves. In addition, Katie uses creativity to teach social-emotional learning, creative problem solving, communication skills, team building, and personal  well-being. Her love for learning and research started at Luther North High School in the heart of Chicago and carried over as she earned a B.A. in English from Southern Illinois University. Years later, Katie wanted to focus on making a difference in the lives of teens and furthered her education by receiving a Master’s in Teaching and a Master’s in Education Administration. 

She is constantly researching the importance of embracing creativity and a new way of implementing strategies to assist individuals in finding their best selves. Katie’s passion for these areas allowed her to start non-profit organizations, assist school districts in writing SEL curriculum, design programs for adults and students to encourage collaboration and communication and mentor new teachers to find their voice. As a result, Katie has won several Teacher of Excellence and Outstanding Educator awards.

As a mom in a blended family, Katie works hard to bring an energetic, joyful, and creative spirit to her children and grandchildren. She finds time to embrace creativity through crocheting, painting, writing, and reading fiction.

  Dr. Cyndi Burnett is Vice President of Curiosity 2 Create and the co-founder of the Creative Thinking Network, an online social platform dedicated to empowering educators through community, collaboration, and knowledge to amplify creative thinking in the classroom. 

Dr. Burnett spent 20 years as an academic teaching deliberate creative thinking and creativity problem-solving in the Department of Creativity and Change Leadership at SUNY Buffalo State University, where she taught both undergraduate and graduate students. Her work includes projects such as: working with educators to bring creative thinking into the classroom, connecting communities of creative thinkers via social media and designing and running a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Igniting Your Everyday Creativity. She is the recipient of the President's Medal for Excellence in Teaching 2018 by SUNY Buffalo State University, was Buffalo Business First, Woman of Influence 2018 for her work in creativity, and was featured in the NY Times article titled “Creativity Becomes an Academic Discipline.” 

Additionally, she has been featured in Women’s Health Magazine and Women’s World Magazine. Dr. Burnett hosts the Fueling Creativity Podcast, where she interviews leading researchers, practitioners, and educators on creative thinking in education. She is the co-editor of the Big Questions in Creativity book series and co-author of the books Weaving Creativity into Every Strand of Your Curriculum, 20 Lessons for Weaving Creativity into Your Curriculum,  and My Sandwich is a Spaceship: Creative Thinking for Parents and Young Children. Dr. Burnett has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, a Master of Science in Creativity, and a Doctorate of Education in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning, all of which she uses to empower educators to bring creative thinking into the classroom. In her spare time, she can be found singing and dancing with her husband and two children, propagating plants, and traveling the world to find the world’s best slice of pizza.