Which Type of Holiday Teacher Are You?

Term One. No matter the number of weeks, they feel endless (infinite, even?!) as we drag our feet to the holiday finish line. Whether you’re new to the game, or a seasoned veteran, that question in the lead up to the Easter break can be enough to break us. I’m talking about the dreaded:

‘Isn’t it nice going on holiday every 10 weeks?’ ‘I mean what do you even do with all that time off?’

While it is usually asked with tongue-firmly-in-cheek, it has just enough venom to sting when you’re emotionally, mentally and physically spent after giving your all.

So, in the spirit of banding together and getting through these last few days before we can indulge in some guilt-free chocolate, here are some ways you can turn your back on the haters. Which ‘Holiday Hero’ are you?

The lingerer/ laminator

It is a well-known fact that teachers are a special breed. We get disproportionately excited about stationery sales and love a good laminating session. But there is such a thing as taking it too far. If you’re dreaming of next term’s desk layout and colour theme before Term One is even finished; it is time to head home for a lie down.

The child dodger

Shopping centres? The movies? Babysitting? Pass. Our own flesh and blood excluded (for those of us who are parents), being around children when we’re on our holiday doesn’t seem to rate too highly. The next time someone suggests an activity during your break that involves the little people, kindly ask whether they’d be keen on hanging in their office with you on their day off…

The brunch fanatic

This is the time when all of the places saved in your Notes file come to life. Get ready to ‘gram, because if you don’t upload a photo of your lunch and check in, did you even go there? Relish in the long lunches, bottomless brunches and forget those ab crunches. Mid-week catch ups with friends happen only four times a year (quelle horreur!). So get booking!

The saint

You’re the human equivalent of a ute. But unlike the unspoken assumption you’re able to shift furniture at a moment’s notice, folks just assume you are waiting around to do their groceries/paint their spare room/take their nan to her podiatry appointment. Nope. You’ve earned the right to sit on that couch, drink that tea and dip that Tim Tam. Treat yourself!

The binger

You know you’re a proper binger when your favourite streaming service asks, ‘Are you still there?’ While it feels slightly judgy to be asked if I’m still sitting there watching my seventh straight episode of Real Housewives; I can justify it with the knowledge that I’ve banked up these hours during term time for this very reason. Get snacks and chill.

The frequent flier

With global travel back on the cards, we have a moral duty to catch up on two year’s worth of passport-stamping! Sure, your non-teacher mates might give you stick about your inability to WFH and saunter down to the cafe the way they can. But what you lack in decent lunch breaks, you more than make up for in air miles. Just one word of warning…conduct a class audit of student’s holiday destinations prior to booking your own, or risk ending up like me. Picture a packed plane headed to Bali. You stand up to stretch mid-flight and spot a student. From your class. Fast forward to baggage collection and you find out their accommodation is on the same street as yours. It really IS a small world, after all.

The planner

You know what they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Now while that adage is a little extreme, there is most certainly no harm in being prepared for the next term. Your pre-Easter self will also thank you when you’re chock full of well, choc, to even think about school. Here is where Cleverbean comes to the fore. With countless lessons ready and waiting for you, simply search up the keywords of your focus for the term and start adding lessons to your program. Cleverbean’s lessons are written by teachers, for teachers, to save you time in and out of the classroom.

So, there you have it. A list to call upon next time the raised eyebrow comes your way. Better still, why not be brutally honest and state whatever it is you’re doing (or not doing) without making any excuses?  After spending the term working as an educator, nurse, friend, parent, problem solver, task manager, receptionist and behavioural specialist, you’ve earned every single minute of that glorious break. Happy Easter!