Spring break is one of the most popular breaks during the school year, and it’s the last one before summer. Many students go on vacation and try to maximize all their time wherever they may go. This might mean skipping one or two days of school, which can be hard for both students and teachers.
Since teachers know what they are going to teach every day, they may have to adjust their plan when they know many students will be gone. “It’s difficult for a teacher to have anything meaningful on that Friday before a break because you don’t know who’s going to be gone and how many kids are going to be gone,” forensic science teacher Bob Lyons said.
For students, stressing about what they missed can defeat the purpose of taking an extra day off, especially if it’s a test they might be worried about during their vacation. Trying to find time during break to study can be hard, and that’s why some students think it might be an easier option to do it before they leave. “I will try to do my tests early. I have a math test Friday that I’m [going to do] Thursday,” sophomore Abbie Kagel said.
I will try to do my tests early. I have a math test Friday that I’m [going to do] Thursday
— Abbie Kagel
Both teachers and students have to find time to get make-up work done, which requires planning ahead. Whether students do the work before or after the break is up to them, but many students choose to do it after, and many teachers don’t have a preference. “You’re gonna have to be flexible,” Lyons said.
When students do get work over break, it can be challenging to find time to do it. “It gets hard because I’m usually doing a ton of activities and I don’t have any motivation to do any of the work,” Kagel said.
Since students forget many things they learned over break, the teachers may have to re-teach things when they come back. “You don’t feel comfortable presenting new material on that Friday, because when you come back from spring break, you’re gonna have to present it again,” Lyons said.
The way teachers feel about students leaving early depends on why they are leaving early. If it is just a relaxing vacation, some teachers may not be too thrilled about them missing class. But sometimes students may leave to go on an educational trip or somewhere they might learn something new. “I think some vacations [are] more educational than school itself,” Lyons said.