Why Relaxing, Recharging, And Re-energizing At Spring Break Is Important

It Is Time To Take A Break

Spring Break has arrived for many people. In fact, some districts are returning to school soon. I hope that you have been able to take some time to relax and re-energize. It is so important to take care of yourself. This has been a stressful couple of years and now that we can start doing things again, hopefully you will be able to take time to enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Many of you have finished your report cards and conferences and can now move on to the next term. Others will be preparing for assessments. Use the time off to take a mental break so you will be refreshed and ready to handle the testing and reporting ahead.

If you are getting ready to start new projects or assignments, the temptation is to do some of the work while on vacation. Although this seems like a good idea, in some cases it can have a negative effect because it can interfere with actually relaxing and de-stressing. Our bodies and minds need to take time to relax if we are to remain healthy. 

​Why It Is Important To Take Care Of Yourself

I had a conversation with someone the other day and she told me that she is in great pain and has anxiety because she didn't take the time needed to let her body and mind heal after a car accident and some other stresses a while back. Now whenever she gets stressed her nervous system goes into overdrive and she is in pain. She had to take a stress leave from work as a result. Her message is: Don't be in too big a hurry to get back to doing everything. Give yourself time to mentally and physically relax and recharge.

The Stress Is Real

Teaching now is harder than it has ever been and it is causing many teachers to rethink staying in the classroom. Now it is more important than ever to look after yourself so you can look after others.

This reminds me of being on an airplane and being told to put on my own oxygen mask before helping put masks on others. Our instincts tell us to help our kids first, but if we don't have an oxygen supply ourselves, we won't be able to help them. The same is true for us as teachers. If we don't have anything less to give, we can't help others.

Literacy And Math Suggestions For Spring

When you are ready to return to class, if you are looking for resources for your students that are spring themed, I have a few that might work for you. They require little preparation and they are fun activities for the kids to do. 
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​Here are some different spring sight word resources that might be helpful for guided reading groups and literacy centers. 

For Math, here are a few that will help with number recognition and place value.

As you gear up again, check out this blog post for some great projects to try for social studies. Our Solar System project is a fun one to do for science as well.

Turn Off Your Teacher Brain For Awhile

Don't let this confuse you. I still think you need to take time to relax and turn off your teacher brain to enjoy other moments during the break, but I know that as the day to return comes you will have trouble doing that, so I wanted to give you some resource ideas that will help get you back in the teaching mindset again without too much stress. From there, you can move on to more heavy duty material and instruction.

​Remember, the kids have also taken time to shut out school for a couple of weeks and they will need to be eased back into study mode.

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