Give yourself a break
Holidays mean different things to people, but the most important aspect is the opportunity to take your mind off work.
IT takes some time for it to sink in but another school year has passed and it is now the end of year holidays. Those of us who have been teaching for many years are probably used to how quickly the days fly by.
There are also some who respond to this observation of time flying by so quickly with a slightly cynical “Not fast enough. Two more years till I retire. Just can’t wait.”
Meanwhile there will be non-teaching people who will remind you for the thousandth time how lucky you are as a teacher to have so many holidays. You get end-of-term holidays, between term holidays, then the extra festive holidays.
“Everyone else who is working gets only one or two days off during festivals but you teachers get a whole week. And then you also get more than a month of holidays at the end of the year. You teachers are so lucky.”
The usual reaction by most teachers to this would be to point out that we don’t really get that many days of leave when you consider all the mandatory holiday duties.
For many of us there are also examination invigilation or marking of examination scripts. Some have to attend courses and usually somewhere after mid-December, the whole process of getting ready for the academic year of 2018 begins again with multiple staff meetings and student registration. “So,” we protest, but most of the time rather unconvincingly, “we don’t really get that many vacation days.”
But another approach which may discourage further snide comments about your holiday privileges would be to say, “Oh yes we teachers are indeed very lucky. We get so much leave and get to do so many things during the school holidays.”
Making plans
Most teachers do have some sort of plan for the end-of-year holidays. Some have planned long vacations abroad or within the country. Others prepare for family reunions or celebrations. There are also many who just choose to take it easy and have long relaxing days without having to think about work related duties.
“Nothing much lah this year,” said senior Mathematics teacher Mr. Ng. “Usual family reunion, cousins, aunties, sister-in-law, brother-in-law we have one every year in December. Barbecue, catching up, old stories, laughing .the ladies of course gossiping This time it’s going to be in my house. Actually I don’t know where everybody is going to sleep,” he said looking at his wife.
“Stop complaining,” said Mrs Lim, “you are the one who enjoys these gatherings the most. We’ll manage. Now come along, there’s so much to prepare.”
“Twenty people and we only have 3 bedrooms,” I heard Mr. Ng’s voice trail off as he followed his wife down the shopping aisle but I could sense a hint of excitement in his voice.
Another teacher I know, Linda, makes it a point to have a vacation abroad touring different countries during the year-end holidays, often returning bleary-eyed just hours before the first staff-meeting for the following academic year. She walks around in a jet-lagged daze the first week of school trying to make sense of schedules, downs endless cups of coffee but tells us all, “It’s entirely worth it. I use up every last decimal point value of my holidays by just being on . holiday.”
Economics teacher Kim takes great pride in using her holidays in her own words, “sensibly and profitably”. “I use most of my holidays to prepare for the new school year. I plan my lesson files, prepare teaching materials, plan schedules, organise new files so you see I am more than ready to begin the new year. My holidays are not much different from other working days,” she added.
“But don’t you take a break at all?” I asked, “just let go think about something else other than work for a while, have a real vacation?”
She frowned, thought for a sec-
ond and then said: “No, not really. I’ll think about going on vacation after retirement in between the tuition classes I plan to have.”
When you think about it, holidays mean different things to different people.
But whether it is a restful laid back period of doing absolutely nothing, or packed with events that engage you fully, I think the most important aspect of holidays is the opportunity to take your mind off work.
But shutting your mind completely off work related issues during a vacation is not always the easiest thing to do especially when you are in leadership positions. There may even be a kind of false guilt if you are completely disconnected from anything to do with work during the holidays.
Therefore, many people only ever get to enjoy a fraction of their entire vacation and may even feel self-righteous about it. “What dedicated workers you are,” you say to yourself and mentally pat yourself on the back for being such commit- ted teachers that even during your holidays you can’t stop thinking about work.
Time off essential
Studies however show that not having enough time off from work, to destress, unwind and relax actually lowers productivity, quality of work and even creativity levels.
There is also the risk of losing out on quality time spent with people who matter most in your life and building relationships.
At times the walls of the office or staffroom close in on you and you may even forget that there is life outside your work arena.
We were never designed to work at our jobs 24/7 without a break and if we insist on it eventually something has got to give. It could be our health, relationships, personal life or even our work quality itself.
Although it doesn’t always turn out that way, I prefer to believe that vacation time should be a period when you stop all work related communication, shut off your work phone line and refuse to give in to the temptation to think about work.
In fact after a thoroughly no-work vacation, you are refreshed and are ready to return to work in a better mood. Also you’ve had that break you were entitled to and don’t feel shortchanged.
It is still a good suggestion however to give yourself a few days in between your holidays and returning to school.
It helps ease the transition for example, from the sunset sky against the Niagara Falls to early morning assembly in SMK Kampong Durian.
Also, do give yourself time to reorganise your work or school bag, put away those worn-out jeans and sneakers and set out your formal work clothes, shoes, food containers and so forth.
And when you do return to school and the whole long year looms up ahead of you, think of all the great things you did and didn’t do during the holidays and tell yourself that the next school break will come by again before you know it.