What the Summer Holidays are for!

The academic year has now finished, and it is time to start the process of unwinding and shedding the routines, pressures and the lifestyle of your working life.

Relaxing takes time and the process can actually take considerable time! It is only when you enter your third week that you begin to have renewed energy and the resolve to always feel less burdened!

The holidays are designed to allow you to recharge your batteries and establish yourself as a person who teaches rather than a teacher who is also a person! This is your time to use and enjoy!

How your time is spent will depend on a number of factors. Personal likes and dislikes, family circumstances, financial circumstances and emotional capacity.

“Learning to find time for yourself however is crucial.”

I have been teaching since 1992 when I entered my NQT or Probationary Year at a primary school in East London. Luckily for me, the culture and ethos of the school was one of support and inclusion. Not only for the pupils, but equally the staff who were all valued, and all listened to.

This made for a creative and exciting working environment and an enjoyable working life. The first summer holiday was a whirl of catching up on sleep, tidying and deep cleaning my living space, visiting with friends and family, discovering my city again, working part time to increase my income and spending time on the North Cornish coast.

I vividly remember feeling the weeks stretching ahead and feeling luxuriously pleased with my choice of career. There was no expectation that I would spend any more than a couple of days setting up my new classroom and planning was done collectively with colleagues on the afternoon of the first Inset day of the new academic year.

This lack of pressure to work during the holidays allowed for me to rest and revive. It also enabled me to enter the classroom in September with a half full attitude and an excitement to begin the term with my new class of pupils.

“Whatever your setting demands or expects, try to find a balance that suits you and the journey you are on as an educator.”

The holiday is a holiday and you will be better prepared if you are mentally ready for the new year. Only you know how to do this and what you need.