What an exciting way to end a work week. Kids and staff are so excited for many of the same reasons. Kids, of course, look forward to no school, no homework, and no studying. They get to sleep in, and maybe get to visit cousins they haven’t seen in a year. Oh, they also get presents!

The staff, teachers and support staff, are excited because they don’t have to prepare lesson plans, correct homework, and prepare tests. Most people in this profession do it for the purpose of educating today’s youth to be productive citizens of tomorrow. Most love their job. But, we get to sleep in, too, visit relatives, and get presents! Even though we do this because we want to, we still look forward to a break as much as the kids do.

The last day before Christmas break, or any other long break, is always exciting because there’s music playing in the band rooms, kids are giggling in the halls, parties are going on, they are playing games in the halls, and maybe even baking cookies! Kids are smiling and wishing their peers Merry Christmas. It’s fun to look into their eyes, and see happiness, giddiness, and even sincerity in their words.

At the end of class, something always happens that catches you off guard. One of the kids comes up to you and wishes you a Merry Christmas, and gives a hug, or one student that you least expect, comes up and hands you a homemade gift. Things like this makes it all worth while, telling you in that little way that what you do matters. That in some way you’ve made an impression on their life.

A break is necessary for both students and staff, to get away from the pressures of behaviors, peers, instructing, studying, tests, preparing tests, etc. This gives us a chance to regroup and refocus, and come back prepared and refreshed to do what we were trained to do. For the kids to come back prepared to learn what they will need for the rest of their lives. So, we all come back after Christmas, Easter, mid-winter break, or whichever it is where you live, ready to start all over again…until the next break!