What do physics teachers do in the summer?

[Dopplershift]

As I am considering becoming a high school physics teacher, I am wondering what physics teachers do for work in the summer? Do you work in labs, or do you do jobs unrelated to physics?

Thanks!

 

[George Jones]

I think that some teachers teach summer school, but that most simply take a beak from working and teaching, and do whatever they like, e.g., gardening, playing lead guitar in a local grunge band, watching the complete box set of M*A*S*H, going to the cottage, etc.

 

[StatGuy2000]

My understanding is that many teachers during the summer take continuing education or professional development courses during the summer, as I believe both elementary and secondary school teachers are required to spend a certain number of hours engaging in professional development, at least in Ontario, Canada (please correct me if I'm mistaken about this). So I don't believe simply take the entire summer months vacationing or taking a break from work.

 

[Dopplershift]

I guess my question is in more terms of how they make extra income as well. Being a teacher doesn't pay well, so I figured a lot of them do work in the summer to make up for it.

 

[Choppy]

Their time off is their time off. They can do what they want with it and you'll see a lot of variety. Depending on location and union contract, some teachers will get paid for 10 months of work and nothing for the other two. Others will have their cheques spread out over the full year.

It's important to remember though, that not an insignificant amount of time goes into planning for the next school year. Often teachers will be at work weeks before the school opens up, getting their lesson plans together and preparing for all of the stuff that's otherwise going to dog them through the year. So while from the outside looking in, people may be associate the time off with their own memories of the freedom of summer vacation as a kid, I think a lot of teachers find that the amount of time off they actually get isn't quite what they remember.

 

[symbolipoint]

What they do in the summer, any combination of teaching, working another job, STUDYING/REVIEWING, designing instruction, planning presentations like for workshops or conferences, attending workshops or conferences, take a trip.