Winter Vacation

This is the time of year that bears down on teachers souls. It is the end of the winter vacation break for students and teachers across the country. For schools brought to bear with winter's wrath and fury, and those that did not catch much winter, the February break is certainly the most coveted week of the year. Just seven weeks from the Christmas break, and seven away from an Easter break, it is a welcome relief of stress-less existence we can ask for.

But what awaits our teachers and students reentering the school on Monday morning?

1) The knowledge that they have to work seven weeks more to have another break.
2)The pressures of financial issues and potential reductions for the next school year, as government lawmakers seek to pare down the aid to schools even more.
3)The looming preparation for the annual assessments and tests to prove teacher effectiveness, and student accountability.
4) And let's not forget the work of attempting to teach a few experiences that are positive, enriching, inspiring, and possibly cathartic, just the same,

It's tough to be a teacher and to be a student, nowadays. There are too many external pressures and mandates created for political maneuvering. What used to be the excitement of teaching and learning, has been wrestled away by political extremists that detract from the real issues and pick on the educational rights of others. And for the that reason, winter, spring, and summer vacations are sought after relentlessly to escape the insanity of it all.

My advice to teachers is to stay the course proudly, and humbly. Fight the good fight and provide quality learning experiences that enhance every child's ability to succeed.

So, let's preserve the vacations and days off as sacred time to rejuvenate the minds of our teachers and students, in order to protect them from the brainless assaults and political maneuvering of our "leaders".

Spring break is around the corner.