Are Teachers suffering during the long summer holidays?

Who can forget the feeling at the beginning of the school summer holidays? The sound of the school bell announcing 6 whole weeks of freedom? I can recall the whole summer seeming to stretch out before me like a piece of infinity. Nearly two whole months without school! No early alarm calls, no miserable commute on a coach filled with somnolent colleagues. No more homework. Sure I had a few assignments to do, but they could be left until the last week. For now I was free!

If this is how pupils feel, just imagine how happy teachers must be to begin their lengthy holiday period! As hard as it is for pupils at school, it is only more difficult for teachers, with endless lesson planning, marking, along with keeping difficult classes in check. Teachers must look forward to the summer break with more fervour and excitement than their students.

The truth is many teachers find it hard to adjust to such a long period of time without teaching. I was a teacher for many years, and can remember how my whole life seemed to be structured by the profession. I would get up every morning at half past 6, travel to school, go over my lesson plans - and then the rest of the day would be comprised of teaching, and conferences with staff. Once the pupils went home I would get a start on my marking, perhaps attend another meeting with colleagues, and attend to any other paperwork. I would remain on school grounds till maybe 7pm, though often far later, especially at the end of term. Once home I would finish up any marking, and work on my lesson plans. This was my schedule five days a week, and I would do an additional 6 hours at least on weekends, often going in to school to consult with colleges.

This kind of lifestyle, though certainly arduous and exhausting, gives a structure to your life. But once the holidays begin, all this structure is removed. I recall a teacher friend of mine saying that during the first 2 weeks of the holidays he didn`t know what to do, that he was so accustomed to having 3 different tasks that simultaneously needed to be attended to, suddenly having so much freedom he felt completely lost.

Another factor adding to the sense of isolation many teachers feel around this time of year, is that no other profession has the same kind of holiday schedule. In most jobs people work through the day, often into the evening, they have the weekend off, and enjoy two or three weeks holiday in the summer. Only in the teaching profession are there such substantial Christmas and Easter breaks, along with such a lengthy Summer holiday. While many people might say this is nothing to complain about, it does contribute to a sense of estrangement, as there is really no one else but other teachers who are on such a time table.

I can remember how it felt, breaking up for the summer holidays during the first few years as a teacher - at the beginning there was a kind of elation, as I could hardly believe I was free from the labours of the classroom for 6 whole weeks. No more marking to do, no more keeping unruly classes in order. But as the days went on I realised I didn`t know how to fill them up. Teaching is such an all encompassing profession, it takes over your whole life, with barely a minute to sit down and switch off. Even during the 15 or 20 minute lunch break you might scrape together between classes and meetings, you will likely be interrupted by something: a fight breaking out in the corridor, or a college requiring assistance. Throughout the day I often felt like I was sailing in a powerful current that refused to release me from its grip. But once the holidays started I realised that I was out of the maelstrom, that there were hours and hours to fill, and there wasn`t a timetable structuring every moment of my day.

Of course by the time I managed to acclimatise myself to the holidays, they were all but over! It was back to work, back to trade holidays stories with my colleagues. It was time to begin with a new class of pupils, each of whom would present fresh challenges!