How Do You Feel About Summer?

Sometimes I'll hear people who are not teachers or students say that they are looking forward to the summer. Honestly, I'm a little puzzled by that. Work and the daily grind continues as normal, and the weather just gets hotter (especially here in AZ). So what makes summer something to anticipate?

Are there any students or teachers here that are looking forward to summer? Or maybe parents of students who are?

For me, things are a little different. I used love summers, because it meant I didn't have to substitute teach. After quitting subbing I began to dread summers, because having the boys home meant less productivity. But they've gotten old enough to be largely self-sufficient, and the lack of need to drive them around gets me back about an hour of work time each day. (Though I still need to break up fights or find things for them to do. So unbroken concentration is precious.) On top of that, summer means E3, which is crazy busy and derails any other kind of productivity I'm attempting. But it's still a fun event that marks the season and only a week long. The Summer Of Free can be kinda fun to put together, but it's also a lot of work, so that balances out I guess. At the end of the day, I DO get to sleep in 30-60 minutes if my body eventually adjusts to the earlier sunrise. So that's nice when it works out.

I guess my feelings are mixed. Summer is definitely very distinct from the rest of the year for me. But it's a blend of pros and cons.

How do you feel about summer?

I get you Paeter. I often hear people cheering enthusiastically about "summer arriving". I really struggle with summer. I don't like the heat. I really struggle with it - especially when you have to work. The thing is, when it's cold, you can put on a jumper, or turn on a heater. When it's hot - there is nothing on earth that can give you true relief.

There are some advantages to summer. The bright sunny days can be good for mood. We can have some dreary winters in Tasmania. And daylight savings is way cool. There's something nice about being able to go out for a walk after tea (dinner) and it's still full daylight. When the kids are on school holidays you can spend time with them in the evening. Doesn't get dark until 9:00 / 9:30 around here during daylight savings.

In my unique situation, there's Christmas holidays, which for many people, means a big long holiday after a gruelling year of work, before launching slowly into a new year. (a lot of workplaces are very quiet and relaxed in January, because so many clients are still on holiday, so there significantly less stress in the office) which is good because December is ultra-stressful.

Of course summer was my favorite time when I was a kid. No school (aside from swimming lessons or whatever) and my birthday at the end of July! Plus, Fourth of July was pretty fun with the fireworks, the parade in my neighborhood, and the hot dogs.

Later, though, I developed a love-hate relationship with summer. My region of the U.S. is prone to tornadoes, and those tend to happen in spring and summer. Once I realized that, I began to prefer winter and actually became somewhat nauseated whenever the season would change and get warmer for spring. I developed an aversion to the hot weather, too (for the reasons that Adam mentioned above). And yet, up until I graduated college, I had the luxury of no school and my birthday coming in summer, so I couldn't be too depressed about it. Also, as a janitor at a church, summer meant that preschool would be out, so I'd have less to clean up after every day.

Now, I'm a teacher, so summer once again means I get a break, though it's shorter than when I was a kid in American school. It's also about the same length of time as the break we get in winter. But the summer break doesn't involve the annoying Chinese New Year fireworks, music, and overall ambiance. We do have a "summer camp," but that can still be a bit of fun, and I definitely have a strong sense of accomplishment whenever we finish it.

Also, there's my birthday.

Once I have a kid, and he/she starts going to school, we'll see how I feel about summer.