Tomorrow is the last day of school before March Break. Many times this week, I’ve had people ask me, what are your plans? And here’s what I’ve said …
- I’m excited to do some reading. I love to read, and I have a whole pile of books that I’m eager to get started on in the coming days. I’m finally going to read, The Book Thief, which I’ve heard is fantastic, but still haven’t managed to read yet. That won’t be the case anymore, come the end of the Break! I’m also going to read danah boyd’s It’s Complicated. I read about this book on Doug Peterson’s blog post this morning, in response to a post that I had written on the weekend. I’m excited to continue this important discussion about students and online social interactions after reading this book.
- I’m excited to plan some upcoming online presentations. Over the Break, I’m presenting online at the Spring Blog Festival on Blogging in 140 Characters Or Less. Then right after the March Break, I’m doing an online session for the Ontario Teachers’ Federation on Twitter As Assessment For Learning. In my head, I know what I want to say for both sessions, but I need to finalize my slides and practice my delivery. The March Break provides the perfect opportunity to do so!
- I’m excited to get together with some friends that I haven’t seen in a while. Schedules are sometimes hard to coordinate during the school week, so it’s nice to have the March Break to connect with friends that I don’t get to see as often during the rest of the school year. Relaxing lunches (or coffee 🙂 ) out are always nice, and it’s great to have the opportunity for this!
- I’m excited to do some planning ahead for the coming months. I want to have a look at our next Science unit and consider some inquiry options. I’d also like to re-explore our current Social Studies inquiry unit, and figure out what our revised plan is for after the Break. How can I offer even more small group reading and writing instruction as part of these plans? For math, I want to look more closely at multiplication and division. Now that I’ve introduced both concepts, where do I want to go next? What real world problems will help the students develop their thinking and computation skills in meaningful ways? Having a chance to reflect, examine new ideas, and make changes will all be happening over March Break.
So yes, I’m going to relax over the March Break, but I’m also going to do some school work. For me, the Break is all about balance: planning ahead for more fantastic months, while also taking enough “me time,” to come back to school relaxed, refreshed, and ready to teach again. What are your plans for the March Break? Why do you make the choices that you do? I hope that everyone has a fantastic Break!
Aviva
I so appreciate that you have considered how to have that balance on March break. Sometimes having that opportunity to fit in some time to work in a less stressful, hurried time like March break is worth a month of exhausted after school nights. Enjoy the rest, reflection, rejuvenating and prepping!
Thanks Kristi! I absolutely feel this way about working during the March Break. I can fit in some pockets of work time while also relaxing. I do enjoy that balance! 🙂
Have a wonderful March Break too!
Aviva
First of all, I am also in the midst of reading The Book Thief! It’s an amazing book so far and has the out most abilities to hook the reader.
Online presentations rock! Sometimes I end up making a presentation, in which I present my ideas via.Commons or FaceTime.
Your 3rd point is most definitely the best thing to do during March Break. I would do it lots 🙂
Planning is the key to success. Do it everyday, anyway!
I hope you have fun during March Break!
Yusra
Thanks again for your comment, Yusra! Glad you enjoy THE BOOK THIEF so much. It really is an incredible book! You can’t help but connect with the characters, and having the narrator as Death (and such a caring Death at that) is really quite amazing.
I have to agree with you about online presentations as well. I love doing presentations in person, but the online ones are wonderful. I’m excited to do a few of them in the coming weeks. And yes, meeting with friends is always good! I hope that you get to connect with friends a lot over the Break.
I’m also excited to do some planning for after the Break. Tomorrow is going to be a big work day! Have a wonderful March Break!
Miss Dunsiger
The narrator is Death? I didn’t know! I’ll imagine I never even knew!
🙂 Yusra
Sorry Yusra! I inferred that from the very beginning (or at least some connection to Death), & this became even clearer throughout the book. I figured you knew. My apologies!
Miss Dunsiger
No that’s all right! I’m starting to get at that point as well…
Yusra 🙂
Thanks Yusra! I’ll check out your blog now.
Miss Dunsiger
Oh! And please visit my blog for one of my latest posts. 🙂 I’ve worked hard on it! http://yimran0639.commons.hwdsb.on.ca
Thanks 🙂