After school lets out most students spend time with family and friends or go on vacation. But what do teachers and staff do over summer?

Leesa Rodenkirch, Science 9 teacher and AHS staff, says “[Many students assume that] we get twelve weeks of vacation.”

AS Rodenkirch explains, this is incorrect; teachers usually start much earlier to make their plans and get ready for the school year.

Thomas Stuber, AHS staff and South Campus guidance counselor, says “My summer involves playing with my children all day, and is such a nice period of time.”

Rodenkirch says, “I am taking the summer off from teaching entirely to spend more time with my own family. My daughters are growing up way too fast and involved in so many activities that I need to make sure I am available to be a part of it.”

Barb Whyte, AHS staff and South Campus guidance counselor, says “Summer for me is full of trips to the zoo and to the beach with the family. It also includes trips to Conover WI where we have a cabin. We will go fishing, boating, golfing, just enjoying the summer weather…summer for me is focus on family time.”

While many teachers spend time with family; others prepare for the next school year.

Stuber says, “I spend my summers doing planning work for my job at Arrowhead, since lots of great ideas come to me in the summer.”

Rodenkirch says, “For the first 20 years of my career, I spent my summers taking courses and working on curriculum development. This allowed me to earn my masters degree quickly and additional graduate credits in order to increase my professional skills (e.g. Google Suite, Canvas), improve my teaching practices (e.g. authentic assessment, scaffolding, etc), and maintain my master teacher license.”

Teacher such as Elizabeth Jorgenson, Greg Bisbee, Ty Moseler, Rebecca McCann, and many more AHS staff/teachers work 6 weeks over the summer.