Rest, reflect, prepare: Hitting reset during the school holidays
School holidays are the ideal time for teachers to rest, reflect, and prepare for a strong start to Term 3
By Brontë Tomkins
For teachers across Aotearoa, Term 2 has almost wrapped and the school holidays are so close.
The last few weeks of term are always a bit tough, fuelled by caffeine and the promise of a sleep in. There are assignments to finish up, a mountain of marking to complete and buzzing classrooms full of students excited for the school holidays.
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Moving into the school break, it’s time for a shift into a lower gear. Because stepping into Term 3 with a full tank of energy feeling prepared for the weeks ahead might only be achievable if you take a step back.
It’s time for rest
Having a couple of weeks out of the classroom may make it tempting to do absolutely everything you haven’t been able to do during the school term. You might plan to plant the veggie patch you’ve always wanted, catch up with every person you’ve ever known, slot in a quick trip away, take up pickleball, mark 60 different essays about the same novel and, while you’re at it, you simply MUST repaint your kitchen.
While yes, some of that may be important and a good use of your time during the school holidays, making it your mission to conquer the ever-growing mental list of things you should be doing is a surefire way to enter Term 3 rundown and burnt out.
See friends, start projects and take that getaway, but don’t forget that genuine downtime matters. This will look different for everyone, it could simply mean not setting an alarm or spending a day lounging on the beach.
If you do nothing else these holidays, make sure you rest properly. Everything else can come after.
Shake it off and look ahead
Term 1 is a big one; new classes, new students, and new routines. There were likely learning curves and things that didn’t quite go to plan.
It can be easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of the year, jumping straight to next term’s to-do list as soon as the last one finishes. However, taking a moment in the school holidays to pause is important.
Once you’ve had a chance to recharge, a brief reflection on what worked and what didn’t can offer mental clarity when preparing for the rest of the school year. This doesn’t need to be an in-depth analysis of every small hiccup.
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Instead, give yourself time to let go of routines that didn’t stick and consider the challenges that kept popping up and why. Reflecting in this way can help you avoid repeating the same patterns and expecting different results.
If Term 1 was particularly tough, it may feel like there are a number of things that need to change. Perhaps a complete overhaul of your entire teaching approach including strategies and routines sounds enticing. Unfortunately, this is more likely to bring about stress and complete disarray than meaningful change. Pick a handful of things to focus on and improve that will make your day-to-day life in the classroom easier.
Do what you need to do
Let’s not be unrealistic, the school holidays will likely involve tying up a few loose ends from Term 2. That final test isn’t going to mark itself and there are probably other tasks that would be better completed now rather than carrying them over into the new term.
But this is not the time to go overboard; you are tying up loose ends, not creating new work tasks for yourself.
The same goes for preparation over the school holidays. A bit of light planning for the first week back and sorting out any key resources that you anticipate needing is enough.
By limiting the amount of work you have on your to-do list these holidays, you may not enter Term 3 over-prepared with lessons planned up until Week 7. However, you will be able to head into term more energised, clear-minded and ready for what comes your way… which is far more valuable.
Easing back into routines
When you’re stepping back into the classroom in a few weeks time, everyone will go through an adjustment period; two weeks is more than enough time for routines and study habits to slip. It’s completely normal for both you and your students to feel a little out of sync at first.
Instead of expecting things to pick up exactly where they left off, allow space for a reset. Revisit expectations early; what materials students need, how lessons will run, how transitions work, and what productive learning looks like in your classroom. Waiting for these routines to fall back into place without reinforcing them is likely to drag this issue further into term.
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Consistency is vital in this transition back to learning. Clear expectations, calm reinforcement, and some patience will go a long way in re-establishing a positive classroom environment.
Hit the reset button
Term 3 has its challenges, but by this time of year you have strong classroom dynamics and routines. You’ve laid a solid foundation in Terms 1 and 2, now it’s time to come home strong in the second part of the year; build upon the good things you’ve already established and make adjustments to a few things that haven’t been effective.
View the school holidays as a time to press the reset button so that you can step into the next term with energy and clarity whilst feeling prepared to tackle the first week.
