Here it is the 4th day of Spring Break and I am finally getting around to doing something productive. True, it consisted of looking at things to grade and setting them aside realizing that the key was on campus and I am not, but still. That was productive. Now I know that when I go to campus tomorrow I have to pick things up.
But, as this future teacher, I have to wonder if professors take a spring break. I know that grad students tend not to. Or at least those in my department. A week without classes or homework is a week to play catch up on research or projects or a myriad of other things that is waiting in the wings. As one who has no research or projects, it is a week for me to devote to some of my extra-curricular activities. Or that was the plan. Instead, my inner learner told me to slow down, enjoy some off-time and approach next week with a fresh mind ready to receive new knowledge. Or create new knowledge. Or whatever the right phrase is that means to learn more good stuff.
But back to the teaching part. What do professors do when the students are off skiing or sunbathing or catching up on other activities? Do they get the same down time to re-boot and approach next week with a fresh vigor? Or are they also playing catch up, trying to finish off papers or proposals or other things that may need blocks of time not interrupted by the pesky business of teaching a class or grading tests? Can they truly be at their best next week after a lazy break or will they be just as worn down by day-to-day academic life? I suppose we will all find out come Monday. But in the meantime, at least take a few hours to bask in the Blacksburg sun (ignore the last remnants of snow) and clear your mind. Your inner learner will thank you.
{sorry for the code spam. It was a lovely Spring Break graphic that I guess the system didn’t like}
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