Spring Break is a gift. It’s time to break free from work and recharge so we have the energy for the final leg of the school year. Unfortunately, too many teachers spend their break working instead of doing things for themselves.
I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but I completely broke away from my job this Christmas, and I want to share with you exactly how it can be done.
Just because you’re staying home during spring break instead of hitting a beach somewhere doesn’t mean you can’t altogether leave work behind. You still deserve the break, and there are many things you can do for yourself at this time.
Read, schedule a mani/pedi, get a massage, meet friends for coffee, sleep in, exercise, go to a movie or out for dinner, and do a little retail therapy. 😉
Here’s how to do it.
Get Marking Done
Okay, I know this is a HUGE request. My first piece of advice would be not to let it all pile up at any time of the year. You certainly don’t want to do this and use your break to do it.
What you need is a plan.
Realistically, look at the marking you currently have waiting for you. Are there things there that don’t need to be marked? Is it enough to say that you’ve had a look at these and made a professional judgment about the quality of work without pulling out the rubrics?
I had a stamp made at Vistaprint to show that I’ve looked at this work, but it didn’t require a formal mark. You can easily customize one of your own.
This editable Homework Bingo resource is available right here!
Are there assignments that the students can mark with you in class? Set those aside to tackle in the weeks before the break.
Now look at what’s left.
Make a plan to tackle a certain number of assignments each day to finish by the last day of your teaching week, preferably a couple of days before the break, to give yourself some flexibility.
Plan For Your Return
Take a look at your daybook and decide what you want to teach the first two days back at school. Do this during the last week before your break begins.
Remember that you and your students may need some time to review expectations, let students share how they spent their break with their peers, and generally get back into a school frame of mind.
Build these activities into your first few days back.
Get Copies Ready
Once you know how you’ll spend the first few days after the break, it is time to do your printing and photocopying.
Don’t leave this for the first day back. You don’t want to stress yourself out by having to run around on your morning back to get things ready.
I combine my copies with binder clips and put them into my Sterilite drawers.
Grab a free copy of the drawer labels with or without the graphics right here:
Last Day Update
Before you leave school at the end of the last day of school before spring break, take a few minutes to update the daily/weekly items you regularly change in your classroom.
Change the date on your board, update weekly job rotations, move desks if this is part of your regular practice, and update the agenda to be ready for the first day back.
This is available with and without graphics right here!
You want to be able to walk in after the break and have nothing to do except grab a cup of coffee.
Empty That Bag!!
Finally, take all your teaching supplies OUT of your bag before you leave.
Don’t bring your daybook.
Leave any marking you didn’t quite finish behind.
Put the professional texts back on your shelf.
Tuck the grade book into a safe place.
Empty. That. Bag.
Take nothing home.
Have a Wonderful, Relaxing Spring Break
That’s it. Commit yourself to relaxing and recharging this week. Do things for yourself because you do so much for others day after day.
Have a safe and restful spring break!
You might also be interested in the ideas I’ve shared in these blog posts:
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