I Wish There Was No Christmas Break

I hope you had a great break. I loved it all. I made cookies with my sister and mom. I slept late nearly every day. I drank my coffee while it was still hot. I read books: two fiction books of my choosing with no relation to education! My son had a stomach bug and I nursed him to health from the comfort of home, with no frantic trips to school to prepare sub plans!

This afternoon I squeezed in a visit to the classroom. I revived the dying plants, dusted off the lesson plans, and pulled down the Christmas lights. It felt good. I didn’t want break to be over, but being in the classroom reminded me how much I love teaching, and how much I have missed my students.

A quick check of our parent communication tool brought me low. “This has been our hardest holiday yet,” a parent told me. “I wish there was no such thing as Christmas break.”

Wow. What a stark reminder that my experience is not universal. What a wake-up call.

While I will return tomorrow morning feeling refreshed and relaxed, I must remember that there may be a child or two who has been waiting two long weeks for those feelings. They may be waiting to relax in the safety of my classroom. They may be waiting for the refreshing return to routine and stability, to more food than they can eat, to an adult who listens.

In our classroom, there won’t be a big to-do over Christmas break. What did you do? Where did you go? What did you get? We just won’t go there. I know there is at least one student who might not have happy answers to those questions.

Instead, our focus will be the present and the future. What do we hope for? What will we do together? How will we care for each other?

Whatever and wherever you teach, remember that your experience is not universal. Somebody may be waiting to be back in the warmth and safety of your classroom for their break to begin.