Crap, it's August.

On behalf of all teachers, I'd like to officially say to all those folks who work outside of education and smugly pander to us with questions about what we're doing with all of our "free time" over "summer vacation": bite me.

Teachers -- real teachers -- work their butts off over the summer. By the time we get back, I'll have been to three ed conferences, written articles for three publications, taught an ed school class, written a handful of book chapters, and maintained the self-induced chaos of running a daily blog.

I'm hardly alone in this.

Real teachers bust their tail over the summer learning new skills (Knaus -- motorcycling counts; how's that gone?), reading up on both ed policy and changing content area knowledge, partaking in online professional development, taking recertificaton courses, writing curriculum for their schools and programs, and helping out with summer school and tutoring students.

Real teachers don't take a three-month "vacation". Most of us wouldn't be able to afford to even if we wanted to.

Real teachers spend the summer learning how to make your kid's experience in school more productive, authentic, and engaging.

Real teachers are teachers 24/7 and 365.

So enough with the "summer vacation" business.

***

Oh crap. It's August, isn't it?

I gotta get to the beach.