The marker of a successful school holidays

Over the last fortnight I’ve been on holidays.

Actually, that’s not true.

I’ve been released from face-to-face teaching. I’ve not been on holidays.

Like many other professions in Australia, teachers only actually get four weeks of holidays per year.

School holidays are designed for preparation and marking.

These school holidays, for me, have been no different. Prep and marking.

The school holiday period releases you to do what is required in the time you would otherwise be doing your regular duties.

The same was true over my years as a youth minister.

The holidays freed you up to do the duties you otherwise may not find time to do.

So, what is the best way to determine if your school holidays have been a success?

You create something new.

You use the time, now available to you, to make something that you’d otherwise not have the space to achieve.

For me, over a number of hours last week, I created a document which listed every source and resource for the upcoming ancient Vikings unit I’ll be teaching next term.

I’d have never got around to this without the school holidays.

Over the summer, I wouldn’t have made notes on every unit I teach from the textbooks without the six weeks of “holidays.”

This, for me, is the point of the holidays.

Create.

Prepare.

Document.

If I end the holidays with something which I’ll be able to look back on - making my future teaching more streamlined - then the holidays have been a success.