Winter Break is Here!

Don't get me wrong, I love teaching. It's been a passion of mine since I can always remember, but like all passions, they can become draining and overwhelming.

As stressful as working with students can be, my students feed my soul. I can wake up grumpy in the morning, but feel my sprits lift once I see them walking down the hallway. Of course there are days that this doesn't happen, but that's such a small amount of time that it barely even counts. Usually by the time lunch rolls around, one of my students has made me smile.

I started my teaching career in Aroostook County, Maine, the St. John Valley to be specific, and we always had a 2 week break about a month after school started for the potato harvest. This doesn't exist in Western Maine, so that means the stretch from the first day of school until Thanksgiving feels so long from what I was accustomed to.

Then there's the month between Thanksgiving and winter breaks. For some reason, that stretch feels like two months instead of one. This is a rough time for students, and their anxieties about this time of year manifests right into the classroom. Not every student is looking forward to being away from school, where there is structure, routine, and adults that can be counted on. This might be the only time they see their friends because they're isolated at home.

Throughout these next two weeks, I will have to force myself to get out of my usual routines and pay not so much attention to time. I will always have a list of things I can do for school, but I have to force myself to do something else, something that I don't always have the time or energy, or even the frame of mind to attempt. 

There are many things that I've put on the back burner while school is in session for times like these, and if I can get at least one of those things accomplished, I'll be happy. 

When I add writing and any books events that I participate in throughout the year into the mix, that makes this break that much more unique. This is the first time since I began writing that I don't have a book waiting for me to continue working on or to finish, so I actually have time on my hands.

That doesn't mean that I won't start my next book before going back to school, though. Trust me, I've been writing one for a while now.

So to all my teacher friends out there, put your feet up, get that extra cup of coffee, enjoy being in your pjs a little longer in the morning, and do something you've been putting off because you always have something more pressing to do for school. Enjoy those lingering moments, that extra time with loved ones and friends, and take time for you.

See you in 2026!!