Post Break

Ah... the first week back after holiday break.  It's unexplainable.  You wake up in the morning, and forget that you have to go to work.  Start autopilot.  Get up, get in the shower, get ready for the day... it's the same routine from before break, but there's no sense of urgency.  There's no solid thoughts like, "What am I doing in first period today?" or "Do I have all my grading/copies/etc ready?"  Instead it's, "What time do I have leave for work?"  The students are even better.  About half have showed up so far this week, and I'm pretty sure the majority of them are thinking "........"  or there might be the occasional "Paper... do I have paper?  Pencil?  Bed?"  You'd think after two weeks off, we'd all be back a-rarin' to go.  And yet, not the case.  I don't know if it's because this year is extraordinarily challenging with all of the changes, or if its just because we're so used to sleeping in.  Regardless, it's been a rough start after break.  It's reasons like these that I'm a believer in year-round school.  The schools wouldn't go everyday, like businesses, but breaks would be shorter and more spaced out.  I have to admit, having a summer break isn't the easiest thing.  Two months off (or in some areas 3) is hard to come back from... NOT that it's not deserved.  I think it'd be hard for anyone to return to work after all that time off.  AND, it's nice to have projects to keep you busy, but let's admit, projects are year 'round, not just in the summer.  There are many times I think about wanting to clear out my basement of boxes and uselessness since my husband has moved in.  And that's not really a project I want to do during the summer, when we're working on our yard or other household projects.  Maybe it's simply redoing a bedroom.  Not a weekend project.  I strongly believe that students would retain more knowledge if breaks were slimmed down and spread throughout the year.  You would still have time off to let your brain recuperate, but it wouldn't be so long that you can't even remember what you were doing before you left.  And teachers would have time to rest AND extra time to plan units in advance instead of always taking work home at night or doing it on the weekends.  There are many days I want to just work on plans... I remember my graduate days when I would head to a coffee shop and sit for HOURS working and researching for plans.  I would love to have time throughout the year to do that, without always giving up my weekends with my spouse.  Maybe that's a change for another day... but I do think it's a far more worthy change than the one currently being implemented in my district.