08 Aug Teachers and Holidays: The Misconceptions
“A Teacher Gets So Much Holiday” WRONG!
You are entitled to 30 days or 14 weeks’ worth of holiday, which one are you picking? 14 weeks sounds nice, doesn’t it? For teachers, there’s 5 half-terms and let’s not forget the big 6-week summer holiday. It sounds like a lot and seems like the dream, but how wrong we would be.
We are made to believe that teachers receive a great deal of holiday, but we fail to see what is happening behind the scenes. Let’s look at the small yet significant acts teachers carry out during their deemed ‘endless’ holidays.
Lesson Prep & Planning
So, a teacher just rolls out of bed on September 1st and begins teaching? Incorrect.
Teaching requires planning. Fail to plan, plan to fail. The infamous quote that rings in a teacher’s mind throughout their holidays. Teachers will spend a great sum of their holidays prepping and planning lessons ahead of the new school term or year.
A teacher cares for their students as well as their loved ones. Taking time away from their friends and families, teachers will utilise their holidays to prep and plan lessons that are useful and engaging for their students.
Classroom Arrangement & Organisation
All teachers are guilty of using feng shui…
A classroom is a teacher’s second home. A teacher aims to create a warm and welcoming environment for all their students.
Teachers will set aside the time during their holidays to zhuzh up their classrooms; replacing charts and hanging new posters to motivate their students to achieve greatness.
An organised classroom equals a healthy mindset for any teacher. And a healthy mindset equals great results for everyone.
Learning New Materials
It’s not only students, but teachers who are also constantly learning. With every new school year comes new materials. Anything and everything a teacher thought they knew can become less to ineffective overnight (or at least over the 6-week holiday).
Teachers will need to use their holidays to learn any new prospectus in time for the new school year. Unlike a student who forgets to do their homework once or twice, a teacher cannot afford to be behind on learning new and required materials.
Learning New Technology
Imagine how teachers felt when the interactive whiteboard was introduced. The urgent need to remember you couldn’t use your standard marker to write on it.
Technology is constantly evolving, and no teacher can be left behind.
Teachers will use their holidays to learn and familiarise themselves with any updated or new technology their school uses. Teachers cannot wait till the first day back and hope for the best. Afterall, putting a lesson on hold to restart a computer for the tenth time doesn’t sound like a good combination, does it now.
“Students Get So Much Holiday” CORRECT!
So, do you still think teachers have a lot of holidays?
If you happen to hear a family member or friend judge a teacher based on how many half-terms and holidays they have, why not try to enlighten, and educate them with the acts we have covered in this good read.
Students have a lot of holidays, yes. But as for teachers, preparation for the new term or school year begins just as the old one finishes.