A sabbatical is an extended break from work that can be paid or unpaid. Sabbaticals can last anywhere from a few weeks to a year or more (or more) and your job will be held for you while you’re gone.
Historically, sabbaticals were offered by universities for professors to do research, teach abroad, or further their skillset in their field of study. However, today’s sabbaticals aren’t just limited to educational institutions. They’re growing in popularity among workers in all fields who seek to volunteer and/or explore new horizons.
Sabbaticals are not vacations; they are a chance to recharge and a great way to prevent burnout. Employers benefit when their employees return with renewed energy and new skills.
Looking to take a sabbatical? Here’s everything you need to know.
How to Plan a Sabbatical
Planning a sabbatical requires careful thought and preparation because every part of your current life will be impacted. You’ll want to examine finances, logistics, and family needs.
Step 1: Check your company policy.
Your company may have accommodations for sabbaticals, including specific guidelines. For example, you may have to have worked at the company for a certain number of years to qualify. If your company does not have a policy for sabbaticals, that doesn’t mean you need to forget the idea. It just means that you might need to do a little more on your own.
Step 2: Research and apply for grants that fit your focus.
You don’t have to go it alone. You may qualify for a grant or fellowship that could finance all or part of your sabbatical. Here are just some examples:
Lone Mountain Fellowships
Louisville Institute Sabbatical Grant for Researchers
Marshall Memorial Fellowship
Peace Corps
Rotary Peace Fellowship
Urban Leaders Fellowship
Step 3: Inform your employer.
Request a sabbatical with as much notice as possible. Present the request in writing, and include details on how the experience will provide value to the company. If your request is denied, you can still take a sabbatical; just know that your job will likely not be waiting for you when you return.
Step 4: Choose the start date and duration—but be flexible.
Having a timeframe helps you to plan your sabbatical. However, as you make plans, you may discover different opportunities. Be open to changing the start date and duration as you learn more.
Just because you’re not working doesn’t mean that the bills will go away. If you have debt, such as rent or a mortgage, car payments, and other bills, you will need to determine how you’ll pay them. Be creative. For example:
Consider opening a savings account to cover some of these costs.
Your spouse might be still working and can pay the bills.
You could get a part-time job during your sabbatical, such as house-sitting, which will still allow you to pursue your passion.
You can rent out your house while you are elsewhere on sabbatical.
Step 6: Plan your exit strategy.
Give yourself enough time to train your replacement at work. Set up a place to hold or forward your mail. Communicate to co-workers, extended family and friends that you will be on sabbatical. Schedule the last few days before you start your sabbatical to ensure that you will be ready.
Step 7: Expect to have “cold feet.”
You’re about to make a drastic change in your everyday life. That can give anyone anxiety. Expect to feel unsure as you’re getting ready to embark on your adventure. You can do this!
Finding Your Purpose on Sabbatical
Your reason for taking a sabbatical is as individual as you are. People take sabbaticals for a variety of reasons.
Do field research in an area of study
Write a book
Volunteer for a cause
Travel the world
Unplug and get back to nature
Become an apprentice and learn a new skill
Discover their roots
Earn a certificate or degree
Do your research to find what resonates with you.
Staying Covered on Sabbatical
You’ll want to make sure that you are fully covered by insurance while you are away on sabbatical.
If your company is sponsoring your sabbatical, check with your human resources department to see if they are also covering your health insurance. If not, you will have to pay out of pocket.
If you have California Casualty, you can take a break from car insurance and not be penalized with the sabbatical benefit. Just inform your agent and they will let you know the guidelines that must be met.
Let trusted friends, family members, or neighbors know of your absence, so they can keep eye on your property and prevent a burglary.
Consider travel insurance if you’ll be away from home.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Teachers are like solar panels, we recharge in the Summer. However, this shouldn’t be the only time we recharge. We should have an ongoing plan to help energize ourselves daily and when done so correctly, rarely need a recharge at all.
Let’s talk about teacher burnout…
Are you missing happy hours or Sunday brunch with friends most weekends? Are you declining family time or weekend trips because you, “had” to lesson plan or, “needed to” to get your grading done?
Did you volunteer for that committee or club because you thought it would look bad if you didn’t?
Are you spending your duty-free lunch breaks completing paperwork, working with students, or emailing parents?
Have you arrived at school 2 hours before students arrive to be prepared for your day?
For me… it’s an overwhelming YES, YES, YES ….. & YES.
Each and every day, teachers GIVE so much to our students. Of course we want to do anything and everything for our students all the time. But is it healthy or sustainable over time?
NO, you will burn yourself out!
Teacher burnout is a very common problem that needs to be talked about more. I believe it is hard to identify if it’s happening to you because, “You can’t read the label, when you’re stuck inside the bottle.” For some teachers, it’s hard to understand and accept when it’s time to start saying, “No,” and take a break.
These difficult conversations need to happen. We have to start working together to normalize teachers saying, “No.”
Saying “No” isn’t always a bad thing. It can even be what’s in the best interest of your students.
Over my 11-year teaching career I have heard a lot of talk about having a good or healthy work-life balance. I have been given tips and tricks to maintain self-care and a happy life. But what no one ever talks about is that it’s not a “One size fits all” approach.
I do not believe in, “work-life balance.” I don’t think there is a magical formula of how each teacher can “balance” their work and their home life at the same time. I think that it should be called, “work-life fit.” A work-life fit is the flexibility to make choices for your own life that fits into what you have going on in that moment. You should be able to create a work environment and lifestyle that fosters both personal and professional life at the same time. As educators, we cannot compare ourselves to each other. What “fits” in one teachers’ life, might not “fit” into yours.
Your goal is to do only the extra things if it fits into your life at that moment. If it doesn’t, don’t do them. And if you are in a place to do extra things you want to for your classroom, do it. Don’t let anyone else shame you for going above and beyond in your career if that’s what fits in your life.
But if you are a teacher that doesn’t have the space and time for all the “extra” things, and you are still trying to squeeze them in, this is when you will experience teacher burnout.
Dr. Leah Katz @dr.leahkatz shared a graphic on signs of burnout. It is important to know what to look for, for yourself, your colleagues, and family members that are educators.
When I start to feel or see signs of burn-out I focus on two things – my mindset and setting boundaries. I have to keep my mindset focused that things will get better. Then I have to act to make that a reality.
I sit down to create a list of things I can take off my plate and specific goals on how I can set boundaries for new things that may come my way. Here is a list of the boundaries I have set for myself.
Don’t:
Spend all evening/weekend working… I work on the weekends, but I don’t let it steal my entire time
Skip breakfast… I love to meal prep on Sunday so that this doesn’t happen
Drink only coffee… I am the worst at hydration so I make sure to always have a water bottle
Stay past your contact hours… unless I am getting paid and I WANT to
Check your email after 4 PM… just don’t do it, it can wait.
Feel guilty about setting boundaries and saying, “No.”
Lie awake thinking about school
However, I can choose to do some of these things once in a while, IF I think they fit into my life AND I know they bring me joy.
As we move into the new school year, I am already trying to find where I can pause for some peace. Where can I build time into my schedule to reflect and do tasks that calm me? I reflect on what energizes me and how I can surround my life with those things and people.
Give yourself grace. Give yourself time. Give yourself an honest talk about what “fits” with your life.
If you start to experience teacher burnout and you are aware of how to find your peace and calm, you will be able to better read the label on your bottle because you won’t be stuck inside anymore.
Casey Keyser is a third-grade teacher at Butterfly Ridge Elementary in Frederick County, Maryland. She was recently recognized as the national winner of the NEA Foundation’s 2021 Teaching in Excellence Award. Casey is the proud owner of the Education Resource Blog, Fair Winds Teaching, and loves to connect with her education community through her TeacherPayTeacher’s business.
Get your kids up and moving this summer with some fun summer-themed brain breaks!
Theseonline games are all free and great activities to do with your students during those last few days of school OR for parents to help get their child’s wiggles out when they are at home this summer. Check them out below.
This Energizer Game is a Summer-themed Would You Rather? from UJU Videos. Kids will have 10 seconds to choose between 2 Summer activities, then 20 seconds to do the matching activity. Get ready for fun! Click here to play.
Your kids will have to find out who is the imposter! Have them move to complete the levels and find out who is the imposter. Get started by clicking here.
FORTNITE! Kids LOVE these fun dances! There are at least 10-15 dance choices on this video! You choose between 2 different popular dances and get your groove on for 30 seconds! You then get a 10-second rest. Keep moving, all the way to the last round, as it has 8 choices on one – click here.
It’s time for some fun in the sun so grab your shades and get ready! Have your kids follow the moves on-screen of which summer activity they would rather choose. Click here to get started.
Have kids try and guess who will be the fastest Super Smash character in each round by performing a fun activity! Click here to get started.
6. Water Balloon Battle
Have your kids get ready to battle Roblox style with this epic Water Balloon Battle Fitness Activity! Dodge, jump, and duck under the water balloons and throw them at the Roblox characters to win! Click here to play!
Your kids will head out on an epic summer adventure! (Nothing screams summer more than backyard BBQ’s and days at the beach) Level 1 – Race through town and grab all the ingredients for your backyard BBQ Level 2 – It’s a burger battle showdown. Find the grills and try to flip as many burgers as possible. Level 3 – Head to the beach! Watch out for all the sand. Bonus Round – Get your beach volleyball on. Click here to get started.
Kids will duck, dodge, and avoid sea creatures in this exciting journey through the ocean! When they get to land what will they see? Click here to find out.
It’s time for kids to grab their lightsabers and train along with a Star Wars workout! Let Rey help them complete their Jedi training with this tough Jedi Workout. Click here to begin.
Kids will help SongeBob look around Bikini Bottom to find Gary. Find Gary and earn a point. Most points win (or for 1 player, try and reach a goal of 8 points!) Click here to play.
If you are looking for something else to do for your kids to do this summer, here are some other great summer-themed activities for kids on YouTube to check out. They may not get kids up and moving, but they are every bit just as fun!
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We specialize in providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Let me say it louder so you can hear me… 2 million words! This is huge for the young developing mind, but having two or more months off from school makes this very difficult to maintain during summer break.
What can you do as an educator or parent to help close this reading gap?! The answer is simple… give them a ton of opportunities to pick up and book and make it FUN!
Make Reading Fun!
Whether you grab a flashlight, a stuffed animal (my students call them “stuffies”), or build a fort, you can engage in fun ways to get your child reading each and every day!
Reading should be something a child is interested in doing, not forced. You want to give them the opportunity to build a love for reading. During the school year, students are often made to read on a specific topic. Summer is a great opportunity to read topics that they are interested in, so they can discover a love for reading. To do that, you’ll need to find out what topics those are. Have them “taste” or try a wide range of different genres of books.
To help you out, I’ve created this Summer Reading BINGO that you can introduce to your students/children this summer! The challenge is for them to either complete as many boxes as possible or complete a BINGO (Vertical, Horizontal, Diagonal, postage stamp, or four corners).
(click to download!)
I encourage my students to complete their Summer BINGO over their summer break and then give them an opportunity to turn it in the first week of school to SPIN THE WHEEL!
What’s the wheel!? Well, I live to make everything a game so I use my Prize Wheel to show what prizes they could win if they complete the BINGO sheet over the summer!
I use small prizes such as glitter slime, fidgets, lunch with the teacher, pencils, stickers, bubbles, stress balls, V.I.P. chair, chalk, and erasers. The pure joy of watching a student spin the wheel is worth it alone! If you would like to check these favorite classroom items out, check out my page of favorites here.
Engagement is KEY!
This prize wheel is from Amazon and I use it for so many different reasons. The middle section is a simple circle so I design different labels for each wheel spinning occasion. I created a Summer Fun prize wheel FREEBIE here, simply print and tape onto your wheel.
Don’t have a prize wheel yet? Check out my favorite two here.
Parents, you could also easily do this at home as well. If you don’t want to purchase a wheel, just put a list of prizes in a random generator like this one!
There are also other ways to excite your students with a summer full of reading…
Free books
Extra recess
Eat outside with a blanket
Ice cream or specials treat
Just the pure enjoyment of the BINGO! (you don’t always have to have a prize)
I kick the Summer Reading BINGO off by giving each student a printed copy of the BINGO board, a Summer bookmark (BONUS FREEBIE), and a summer-themed chapter book they can keep!
For books, I use Scholastic Book Clubs to buy the $1.00 books each year. This is a cheaper way to give your students a book on their reading level. If you have not signed up for Scholastic Books Club yet, use this code (00091 – Casey Keyser – 2473029383) to earn an Extra 250 Bonus Points to redeem for FREE books!
I have also gone through my own classroom library books and weeded out ones that I can give away. This allows my students to pick their own book to take home.
Preparing our Students for Summer at Home
My class then discusses ways to be able to access FREE books from the local library and school and how to read books online for FREE.
Here are some of my favorite online book websites!
Epic Books! – Unlimited access to hundreds of high-quality kids read-along books.
Capstone Reading – The perfect Capstone Interactive eBook is waiting for you! Choose from different subjects, genres, and levels to find just the right book.
Vooks – Vooks is a streaming service for kids, where storybooks come to life!
Noggin – Noggin’s ever-expanding library of downloadable eBooks feature your kids’ favorite Nickelodeon stars.
Time to get started; we cross off the first box together! This way all of my students get to start with one box already crossed off — it’s like a FREE space! You can pick any that work for your classroom but I do “Read on the Dark with a Flashlight.”
I have a class set of mini flashlights from Amazon and I have the students crawl under their desks and read in the dark with their flashlights for 20 minutes. It’s such a fun and peaceful way to get them excited about reading!
Summer Favorites
I love so many different books, but here are four of my favorite summer reads. I love to select and focus on books that are thought-provoking and entertaining. “Be You!” By: Peter H. Reynoldsis a book about being all the things you were born to be. “Do Unto Otters”: A Book About Manners By: Laurie Kelleris a book to remind students about manners and how to be a good friend and a good neighbor. “The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors” By: Drew Daywalt is a witty fun adventure about the classic game Rock, Paper, Scissors. I always challenge my students in a battle of this game and it’s a great time to review the rules of playing fair. Lastly, I love the book, “Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great” By: Bob Shea. This book is about a goat who thinks he wants to be a unicorn. Join him on his adventure to discover himself and why he is great himself.
Helping your students or children find a love of reading is so very important, for more blog posts on Summer fun, head over to Fair Winds Teaching.
Thanks for reading!
– Casey Keyser
Other Favorite Summer Products
Summer Minute to Win It challenge – Grab a one-minute timer and have some fun. Includes the directions and materials needed to play 13 different Summer/ End of School themed Minute to Win it games! Living those summer vibes! Use this digitally, at summer school, during the summer with your own kids, or at school at the beginning of the year! Check out my YouTube channel here for 3 free games now!
Casey Keyser is a third-grade teacher at Butterfly Ridge Elementary in Frederick County, Maryland. She was recently recognized as the national winner of the NEA Foundation’s 2021 Teaching in Excellence Award. Casey is the proud owner of the Education Resource Blog, Fair Winds Teaching, and loves to connect with her education community through her TeacherPayTeacher’s business.
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member, and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
For many teachers, summer is the time to complete projects you’ve been putting off during the school year. Exercise tends to be one of those projects…
But the summertime is a great opportunity to begin building workout habits! You don’t have to own a Peloton or do 75 Hard to get into shape, the following can help get you started with an easy summer exercise routine and transition into much healthier habits leading into the next school year.
Use A Fitness App I like Map My Run and My Fitness Pal. I can log workouts, track how far I run (along with some other stats), and count calories from food. Couch to 5K is also another free, popular app that helps you progress your way to a 5K in 8 weeks. Check out this list of The 38 Best Health and Fitness Apps from Greatest.com to see if you can find an app that works for you!
Start Small If exercise isn’t part of your regular routine, start with just 2 or 3 days a week. From there, add on days as you feel more comfortable. You can also up the intensity of your workouts.
Keep A Routine Find a time and day that works for you and commit to it. You are more likely to stick with something if you make it a part of your routine.
Exercise With A Buddy or Group
If you are able, find a friend or a group of friends with whom you can work out. You can hold one another accountable if you commit to group workouts. When you skip out on a workout, there’s an element of guilt added in, which makes you more likely to stick with it.
Mix It Up For me, one type of exercise becomes boring. To combat the monotony, I use different types of exercise. Yoga, kickboxing, cardio, dance, etc., are all great ways to mix up the workout routine. You can find videos online for just about any kind of workout!
Set A Goal What is your fitness goal? Is it to lose weight, build muscle tone, run a marathon? Establish your goal, write it on a sticky note, and place the note in a visible place you will see each day. Use an “I will” statement and have an end date. For example, “I will lose 10 pounds by July 31st.” It is also helpful to decide HOW you will meet your goal. Will you run for 20 minutes 3 times a week? Lift weights every day?
Motivate Yourself Take selfies. I know. I hate this part. If you take pictures of yourself regularly, you should be able to see the changes in your body as you progress towards your goal. Hopefully, these pictures will motivate you to keep going. Positive self-talk is also beneficial. Again, use your sticky notes to write positive affirmations to place in a visible location (“I can do this!” or “I am strong!”). This may be cheesy, but it has a surprisingly positive effect!
Tell Your Family/Partner
Your partner or family is a great source of support and encouragement. Tell them your fitness goals and plan. They can help motivate you and hold you accountable (if you choose).
What summer fitness activities or advice do you find works best for you?
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.
The end of the school year is near! Do you have your last day/week activities all planned out for your class?! If not, we’re here to help.
Whether you want to stick to schoolwork and reviewing or you want to plan something a little more exciting for your kids, you’ll love these 10 fun and easy activities and ideas to end the school year with your class.
Make a Countdown Bulletin Board
Help your students countdown to the end of the year with a fun bulletin board like this one! Each day a different student will get their chance to pop a balloon and reveal how many days are left until Summer Break. This is a fun activity that will help that they can look forward to at the end of the day and an easy way for you to remind them to get their work in and keep on task.
Fill Up End of the Year Memory Bags
Have students reflect on their year by having them make memory bags. Here’s how it works. Give students a brown paper bag to decorate. You can choose to put your own reflects on the sides and back or have them decorate it with their own reflections from the year. Then, have them place 10 different items in the bag to represent the school year. Have them fill out a notecard for each item explaining the role it plays, and then each child will present their bag on the last day of school.
Host an Interactive Themed Day or Week
Make your reviews interactive and fun by turning them into a whole day or week of activities! Like camping week, market week, movie day,beach day, popcorn day, or surgery day! Use these themed days to incorporate and review skills that you have learned all year before you go into testing (or just as a general year-end overview). Your students will have so much fun they won’t even realize that they are practicing their new skills!
Write to Next Year’s Class
During the last week of school have your students get together to write letters or a “Survival Guide” for next year’s class. Have them write what the incoming class will learn, their favorite class activities, and everything they’ll get to do in your classroom. And then save all of the letters, or the guide, and give them to your class next year.
Make an End of the Year Backpack Book
These Backpack Books are the perfect End of Year activity to end your school year with a bang! This memory book fosters reflection and goal setting for your kids in science, reading, writing, math, social studies, and more. They can be displayed on a bulletin board in your classroom or door and sent home as a keepsake of their year.
Incorporate a Sweet Treat
Nothing beats an end-of-year lesson that includes some fun summer-inspired food or drinks! In this lemonade activity, your students will get to compare pink and yellow lemonade and make a graph chart on everyone’s favorite lemonade. After graphing, the students will brainstorm words to describe their favorite lemonade and then write opinion pieces about which lemonade they like best!
Host an Awards Ceremony
Celebrate each student in your classroom on the last day of school by hosting your own class awards ceremony (you could even decorate your classroom like a stage) and giving them their own special award. You have your students vote on who gets these awards or pass them out! The best part about these is they don’t have to be serious, you could make silly awards and pass them out and the students will still love them. Use these award certificates or make your own!
Play Friend BINGO
Have kids grab something to write with and then pass out an End of the Year Bingo sheet to each student. Make sure everyone knows the rules: children will find a classmate matching each description and write his/her name in the box. Kids can go ahead and fill in blanks they already know or they can wander around asking friends if they fit one of the characteristics. The first person to fill 5 in a row wins. Easy peasy and a great way for kids to get their last interactions in with their classmates!
Host a Minute To Win It Game Day!
Who doesn’t love playing games in class? Here’s a super fun and cheap way to host a game day in your classroom on the last day of school. Have your students compete against each other by playing these Minute To Win It games. You could even get prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Host a tournament or just do games that students can move around the room and compete in one at a time.
Give Students a Year-End Surprise
Surprise your students on the last day of class with a “thank you for being in my class” gift. Some easy gift ideas include bubbles, goodbye stars, or slap bracelets. There no doubt that students also love snacks! Giving your students a little keepsake or treat at the end of the year will let them know that you care about them.
Need some more ideas for your hybrid or remote students? Try these fun Zoom games!
Congratulations on completing another school year. Enjoy your summer!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Teachers are like solar panels, we recharge in the Summer. However, this shouldn’t be the only time we recharge. We should have an ongoing plan to help energize ourselves daily and when done so correctly, rarely need a recharge at all. 
