I really am the LAST person to create a tips list like this as I seem to either feel like I've worked all through a half term or that I've frittered the whole week away without noticing. However, there's the whole 'do as I say' thing to go on... Anyone else's tips gratefully received!
1. Plan to relax
Actually decide times when you are going to do nothing and then don't feel guilty about doing so.
2. Plan to work
Again, decide when you will work, then try to stick to it. If you can leave your work somewhere it won't be shaking its finger at you, trying to make you feel guilty about ignoring it when you're not working, so much the better. This of course could be a plan to do NO work at all!
3. Look at the weather forecast
Having an idea of what the weather will be doing can be the motivation to go out and make the most of the sunshine while it's there.
4. Try to achieve something every day
And by achieve, I just mean something you've felt was a good use of your time: met up with friends, spent some quality time with family, tried out a new recipe, investigated a new website, got the car MOTed! It doesn't necessary need to be that exciting.
5. Find a way of recording what you've done
Over the Summer I used Memiary to record things that I'd done. I also used it as a bit of a planning tool to decide in advance things I'd like to do. Again these ranged from the mundane to the frivolous - generally a mix on each day! (I really wish I'd done that this week...)
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Half Term round up
The Battle between relaxation and guilt
Well I managed to go out on a drive through the beautiful Berkshire countryside on Monday to make the most of a lovely day - the leaves in Windsor great park were stunning.
But other than that - well I did try to switch off. Really I did. And I enjoyed reading Labyrinth as part of the relaxation (and also discovering in the process of finding that link that there is a book about the goblins from the film Labyrinth!) However, I also rediscovered that actually I find books about education much more relaxing than novels as I end up completely caught up in a novel as if I've gone through the whole experience myself!
So now it's Saturday and I'm working. And I will be working tomorrow. Might it have been better to work through last weekend so that I could just rest now? Possibly. However I really needed to stop last weekend. And the advantage of leaving the work until now is that I only have two days to do it. If I had started last Saturday then I could have continued working through the rest of the week.
But I managed to not feel guilty as I rested - so that was definitely one of the main aims of the week managed. And I do feel more motivated and ready to enjoy the half term leading up to Christmas.
After all, that's the main reason why I know that I need holidays - to recharge in order to start again with the energy levels that are essential to making a difference in school.
Well I managed to go out on a drive through the beautiful Berkshire countryside on Monday to make the most of a lovely day - the leaves in Windsor great park were stunning.
But other than that - well I did try to switch off. Really I did. And I enjoyed reading Labyrinth as part of the relaxation (and also discovering in the process of finding that link that there is a book about the goblins from the film Labyrinth!) However, I also rediscovered that actually I find books about education much more relaxing than novels as I end up completely caught up in a novel as if I've gone through the whole experience myself!
So now it's Saturday and I'm working. And I will be working tomorrow. Might it have been better to work through last weekend so that I could just rest now? Possibly. However I really needed to stop last weekend. And the advantage of leaving the work until now is that I only have two days to do it. If I had started last Saturday then I could have continued working through the rest of the week.
But I managed to not feel guilty as I rested - so that was definitely one of the main aims of the week managed. And I do feel more motivated and ready to enjoy the half term leading up to Christmas.
After all, that's the main reason why I know that I need holidays - to recharge in order to start again with the energy levels that are essential to making a difference in school.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Time to stop
Welcome to Half Term!
Looking at the posts of other UK teachers on Twitter and Facebook, clearly this half term holiday is well overdue for many of us. And it's time to stop. Well earned time to stop.
So I'm stopping. Sort of. I've not brought any work home with me, so that it isn't sitting in my office making me feel guilty when I try to relax. But I have no wish to stop entirely; already I have been tinkering with new ideas on our learning platform and leaving messages for individual pupils to congratulate them on specific achievements over the past couple of months. I have also enjoyed the few hours I've already been able to catch up with my PLN on Twitter.
However, the ease of CPD in the Twittersphere is going to require some self discipline. I know that I do need some time to completely switch off from my role as I know that's essential for me to be at my best when I start again. So I'm going to try a couple of days: perhaps tomorrow and Tuesday. No Twitter, no Learning Platform, no opening any of the ridiculous number of books on teaching, learning, attachment disorders and other work related writings I've purchased from Amazon so far this term.
Worryingly I'm not sure what I'll do instead... But there's always the gym, or the past three months of ironing!
Wish me luck!
Looking at the posts of other UK teachers on Twitter and Facebook, clearly this half term holiday is well overdue for many of us. And it's time to stop. Well earned time to stop.
So I'm stopping. Sort of. I've not brought any work home with me, so that it isn't sitting in my office making me feel guilty when I try to relax. But I have no wish to stop entirely; already I have been tinkering with new ideas on our learning platform and leaving messages for individual pupils to congratulate them on specific achievements over the past couple of months. I have also enjoyed the few hours I've already been able to catch up with my PLN on Twitter.
However, the ease of CPD in the Twittersphere is going to require some self discipline. I know that I do need some time to completely switch off from my role as I know that's essential for me to be at my best when I start again. So I'm going to try a couple of days: perhaps tomorrow and Tuesday. No Twitter, no Learning Platform, no opening any of the ridiculous number of books on teaching, learning, attachment disorders and other work related writings I've purchased from Amazon so far this term.
Worryingly I'm not sure what I'll do instead... But there's always the gym, or the past three months of ironing!
Wish me luck!
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