It’s often said that one of the perks of being a teacher in the amount of time off we get. Can’t really deny it, to the non-teachers I can see how it seems bonkers how much time we get off. But… of course, there’s a but… it’s not the whole story. Holidays are not holidays in the way most people think of them. In the same way that teachers weekends aren’t the same as an ordinary weekend.
I’ve tried the whole gamut of working experiences. Worked for someone, have been self-employed and have been and currently am a teacher. So I can comment with some authority on this subject.
As an employed person, your weekends are yours. You don’t have to think about anything except the weekend, family and perhaps how much you don’t want to go back to work on Monday, but that’s another story. As a teacher, you may get one day of that but then the other will be taken up in part, at least, preparing for the week ahead. So that’s one whole day a week to yourself or for your family. Added to that the fact you are completely knackered from 5 days with 30 students who are these days more and more demanding. (Now I have to hold my hand up here and say things here at the British School in Alexandria are much, much better than that…) Now, of course, teachers are better off than the self-employed but again that’s another story.
So when holidays do come around as they do they are a necessary part of R&R in order for teachers to be able to do what they do. In fact, it’s a pretty good indication of the state of the teaching profession at the moment, that the length of holidays is not a significant enough incentive to keep people from leaving in droves. Long holidays should be a real incentive but they are not.
Anyway, what I am trying to say in a round about way, is that I am on half term. My plans are as follows; relax; spend time with my family; learn a few things; spend time on my blogs; plan for next half term; get my energy levels back up to where they need to be for the next seven weeks.