- 1). Send home a reminder. If your school does not already send home a school-wide reminder of break time, send a flyer home with your students to remind parents of the upcoming break. Take the opportunity to build good will by wishing parents a happy holiday or enjoyable break as well.
- 2). Assess student learning immediately before break. It is ideal if you finish up a unit or topic before your school vacation, particularly if it is a lengthy one. But, this is not always possible. On one of the last days before break, ask students to complete a quiz or project to demonstrate their understanding of the material they have learned so far in the unit of study. This practice allows you to effectively gauge the students' understanding of the content before knowledge loss occurs over vacation.
- 3). Clean the classroom. Returning from break is hard enough without being greeted by a messy classroom. On the last day, enlist student help and sweep, dust and organize the classroom area. This provides a break time treat for custodians as well, cutting down on the work that they have to do in your classroom at the end of the day.
- 4). Grade all assignments. Many teachers want to rush out the door on the last day before break the moment the bell stops sounding, but by taking some extra time to ensure that all of your papers are graded, you will be setting yourself up for an easier return. Grade any assignments before you leave on the last day before break, even if that means staying after school.
- 5). Plan your back to school lessons. You can't enjoy vacation with back to school planning hanging over your head. Before you leave for your period of rest, set aside time to plan your lessons and prepare your copies. You can rest at ease, knowing that everything is set for your return. You will not have to scramble to get papers and lessons assembled on the first day back to school.
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