Teaching Tip – Take a Break

Teaching Walloon at Ochamps (the benevolent te...Image via Wikipedia

Teaching can become an all-encompassing profession.

It is so hard to fit everything we need to do into the small amount of time we have at school.

Most teachers I know either come in early, stay late, or take work home with them. Many teachers actually do all three. 
I know that I have a hard time turning the teacher half of my brain off. I am always thinking about things I can do in the classroom.

I can look at a pile of junk and see materials for an art lesson. I can look at an image on the computer and be inspired to write a lesson plan about it. I can go to the library to get a book for pleasure reading and come back with three teaching-related books or resources. 

While this is all well and good, it is also important to take a break every now and then. 
School can wait. It can wait until January 3rd for most of us. 
Before I left the school on Friday, I made sure that I had written all of my lessons for the first week back. I did all of the photocopying, and left my room neat and tidy. 
I am now officially on break. I don’t need to worry about the first day back, what I’m going to do for art that week, or what unit of science I’m starting. Everything is all set. 
My teaching tip for today is – Take a Break!
If you haven’t already done so, take some time to plan your first week back now. Do it today and you won’t have to worry about it for the next two weeks. 
I’m following my own advice and will be taking a break from this Teaching Tip Tuesday series. I will still be updating the site but I won’t be publishing a new Teaching Tip until school starts back up in January. Until then I wish you all the best. Have a safe and happy holiday. 
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2 responses to “Teaching Tip – Take a Break”

  1. Hi Hilary,

    It seems I can't take my own advice. I wanted to do some pleasure reading this break but I somehow ended up digging into some professional reading. My comment above about the library is just so typically me.

    That being said, I am enjoying my break so far.

    Merry Christmas Hilary! Thanks for the season's greetings!