School holidays – 5 things you can do!
The fabled 6-week summer holiday is here again, and we bet it’s not just pupils that are excited. The school holidays give all hard-working teachers, teaching assistants, and other school staff a well-needed rest after three terms of enthusiastic educating.
With all of that free time, we thought you might like some suggestions about what you can do to make the most of the summer season before the new academic year rolls around!
1. Relax
No more 7/8:00am starts means no more forced early rises, so now’s the time to catch up on all of those lost Z’s by sleeping in late. Once you’re all caught up, take days to yourself for relaxation – read that book that’s been sitting on your bedside table, work through your backlog of recorded shows, and generally lounge about. These days are best complemented with a carefully chosen snack collection to keep you going, so get stockpiling. You deserve it!
2. Holiday
When you return to the classroom in September you’ll hear a lot about your pupils’ holidays, so we think it’s only fair you treat yourself to one too. August is a great month to travel, with the summer sun beaming across Western Europe and the UK. Our suggestions for domestic breaks include Edinburgh (where you’ll find the infamous Fringe Festival), coastal Wales, and Cornwall. If you’re headed abroad – the world’s your oyster! Don’t have the chance to holiday this year? Treat yourself anyway with a trip to your local zoo, theme park, or beach.
3. Reflect
After a full school year of teaching, you probably have a lot to reflect on. The summer break is the perfect time to consider your strengths and weaknesses, think about the parts of your skillset that need developing, and begin to prepare yourself for the next year of teaching. We recommend checking out teaching blogs (there are plenty out there!), including our very own education blog which has articles covering a wide range of topics. Don’t be too strict on yourself, but a little light reading goes a long way!
4. Reconnect
It’s hard to keep in touch with extended family and friends when you’re working long-days for months at a time so, during the school holidays, reconnect with the people you don’t get to see during term-time. August weather brings with it opportunities for outdoor BBQs, rooftop drinks, and local park visits, make the most of it! This is one of those rare parts of the year where you’re freer than your other working friends so it’s your turn to bug them to catch up.
5. Prepare
As summer draws to a close and September looms, it’s time to start thinking about your first week back in school. Approach the new academic year positively; building on the progress you made in the previous year and taking your teaching to a new level. Planning your first week of lessons is always a good idea and will help your return to the classroom go smoothly.
If you’re ending the term (or just finishing your PGCE) with no teaching work lined up for the new academic year, you can also use the school holidays to register with us and find a day-to-day, short-term, or long-term placement that suits your needs. Send us your CV today and one of our consultants will give you a call as soon as possible for a friendly chat!
Summer often feels like it’s over before it even began, but these suggestions for the school holidays will help to make sure that you return to the classroom relaxed, re-inspired, and ready to teach!
And from all of us at Connex, enjoy your well-deserved break!
