 It's been a few weeks since my last post; this brings us to the long-awaited Thanksgiving break. Finally! At 2:20 PM tomorrow, you may need to cover your ears from the deafening cheer of teachers celebrating at my school. As all school breaks do, this one comes at the perfect time. Just when you think you can't hear "what are we supposed to do?" or "why are we doing this?" or "I can't find my ______" one more time, the break arrives. In both sides of my job - teacher and administrator - I have noticed student behaviors ramping up a notch. The behaviors, complaints, and meltdowns always get worse before a break. There are students for whom school is a safe place with routines and regulations, a regular meal, and people who care about them - even though these students can sometimes show us their worst behaviors. Maybe school is the best place in their lives. Maybe home is scary, or uncertain, or chaotic. So, for this Thanksgiving, I wish every teacher and administrator time to enjoy their families and other loved ones; time to rest and rejuvenate - and to get ready for the stretch until the holiday break (because it will be a crazy, nonstop blur!) Take time to do things for yourself, whether that is a manicure, a hike, or a lunch with a friend. Take naps! I will, for sure. We need these breaks to help us keep going. We need genuine down time, and real self-care. I will be practicing getting better at that myself, and at the same time giving thanks for all I am so lucky to have. On a curricular note, at this time of year, I always teach my students about the first Thanksgiving, including Thanksgiving myths and what Thanksgiving may mean to North America's indigenous peoples. It is important to keep in mind that this is not recognized as a happy time for many, especially for the first Americans. Here are a couple of resources to check out: americanindiansource.com/mourningday.html www.uaine.org/ nmai.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/thanksgiving_poster.pdf
7 Comments
Mary Ginley
11/20/2017 08:23:10 pm
Happy Thanksgiving, Alicia. We have so much to be thankful for! 5/15/2018 04:54:08 am
Taking a break from a very long day is what we all need. Being able to break from the stress and pressure from work or from the people around us is I think what will make us happy. We need some quality time with our self and perhaps find what we really want to do with our life. My ideal break, moreover, is more on travelling alone. I want to make sure that I will be able to somehow vent out everything negative that I am feeling. Although, I haven’t tried travelling alone yet, but this is actually one of my dreams and hopefully I will be able to make this dream come true. 7/5/2020 03:24:32 am
If you feel tired from all of the things that are happening in your life, please know that it is not bad to take a rest if you want to make things clearer for you. You can always choose to breathe out everything for a while because not being able to do so might harm you not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. You deserve to prioritize yourself if you think that you are no longer able to do the things that you love to do before because you are being occupied with the responsibilities that you have for other people. Love yourself first in order for you to be able to shower love unto others as well. 10/11/2020 03:48:02 am
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