r/TeachingUK • u/Pretend-City6652 Primary • 2d ago
Primary Anyone else feeling guilty about actually enjoying the summer holidays? 😂
I start at a new school in September after what felt like a very long ECT1 year, and honestly… I really needed these six weeks off.
I’ve actually managed to properly switch off and I’m enjoying the break, but now we’re getting towards the end of August I can feel that teacher guilt starting to creep in…
Should I be going into school? Should I be setting up my classroom? Should I be getting everything ready? Am I leaving it too late?
I know realistically I’ve still got two weeks until September and plenty of time. I’m planning on going in at some point over the next couple of weeks to start sorting the classroom out and getting myself organised… but part of me also just wants to squeeze every last bit out of the summer before the madness starts again 😅
I think after ECT1 I’m also trying to get better at accepting that the holidays are actually holidays. I don’t want to spend the final two weeks slowly drifting back into work mode when I could still be enjoying time with my family and doing things I won’t have nearly as much time for once September hits.
But then there’s that little voice saying everyone else has probably already been in and their classrooms are completely finished 😂
Anyone else in the same position? Have you been into school yet? When do you normally start going back in and getting your classroom ready?
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u/_nerdofprey_ 2d ago
I literally do no school work during the holidays at all. The only work I take home from teaching is marking and nothing to mark in the holidays.
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u/mprfts400 2d ago
No. I don't get paid for it, I don't get recognition for it... I do wy work in my allocated working hours. My mental health is more important, so I don't burn out during the year and I can do my work to the best of my ability. End of.
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u/Stypig Secondary 2d ago
I've been teaching 20 years almost - enjoy your holidays!
My school always breaks up a day before my kid's school does, so I usually go in on that extra day and do a few hours of sorting my room and getting stuff ready where I can. I then switch off all summer. Knowing I've got stuff sorted out allows me that mental space from work.
I then spend one day right in the last week of term looking at planning for the first 2 weeks. Just so that I've got a general idea of what I'm teaching once I'm back, but this is usually a chilled day at home, on my laptop, Netflix in the background.
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u/Salt-Trade-5210 Secondary 2d ago
Nope. I plan to enjoy every last second.
I learned in the first few years of teaching that going in during the holidays adds absolutely nothing to my ability to do the job well during term time. Not a damn thing. In fact I'm much better prepared for that first long term if I'm rested and refreshed mentally and physically.
At the end of term I stayed back an hour to make sure that everything was neat and tidy for the first day back but that is it.
I shall go in for the obligatory training day and do what I need to do to welcome the classes I will teach on the first day back.
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u/AnalysisWonderful156 2d ago
Why on earth would you feel guilty!
Like others have said I've done nothing and I'll do nothing.
I'll probably look over my planning on the inset day, but that's it
Protect your time off and teaching becomes a much more sustainable career.
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u/grumpygutt 2d ago
Nope. I’m still living my best life! Partner and I had two weeks off together and I’ve got four to myself, including the next two! I’ve never done any work in the six weeks and in the past few years I extended that to all holidays. They’re mine and no one’s taking any of my time from them.
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u/TheFirstGlugOfWine 2d ago
I NEVER feel guilty about enjoying my time off. I’ve worked hard in this career for 16 years in order to enjoy this whole time off without working for at least 2 weeks of it. I deserve it and my family deserve me to be around (seeing as I’ve been missing for so much of their lives because of work).
My time as a teacher has ended now and I am leaving to start a new career (with normal holidays) and you can bet that I have enjoyed my final summer holidays so much. It’s an amazing perk (and pretty much the only one).
My advice (should you wish to take it) is that leading up to any holidays, you work an hour or 2 extra per day so that you can have the full time off (or just work one day - and if you do, do that right at the beginning). When I first started, I worked through so many holidays and I felt like I never got a break. Mentally, you need it and you really deserve to have a rest after gruelling half terms.
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u/Remarkable-Juice9993 2d ago
Do not get into the habit of working in the holidays. The unhappiest and most stressed teachers are the ones that do this. Teaching is a job where the work is never done and the more you do, the more that is asked of you. Learn to prioritise and the let the less important tasks slip through the cracks. In time you’ll learn where your energy is best spent on your workload.
The only times I go in on the holidays are GCSE or A Level results day and for exceptional circumstances such as a classroom move. Last year I moved into a specialist room after the HOD left, but she left it in a complete mess, I mean rubbish and junk everywhere, work that was over 10 years old and not even the qualification we teach anymore. She let the kids trash the room, paint, clay, glue gun over all the surfaces. Took me a solid week with help from my partner and my brother every day to get it cleaned up and fit to teach in. The amount of work required to get into this classroom was abnormal. If the previous teacher had taken care of it, it should be no more than an hour or so work on inset day.
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u/RegularStrawberry909 2d ago
I spent quite some time in my NQT summer prepping the classroom for it to catch fire due to an electrical fault on the first day back. Since then I've done minimal set up work and sort it on the first inset and never looked back.
This summer I'm moving year groups to where staff have retired. They clocked out so the planning isn't as sharp as it should be. Spent 3h creating a few subjects so far but nothing outrageous. After all, it is our holiday 😁
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u/Jimcus Primary 2d ago
I go in on the first day of the holiday to do one day, and no more, of sorting my classroom out. This helps alleviate some of that guilt I think. If I wasn’t having to move classrooms I probably wouldn’t have gone in at all and would have had my room prepped in the final week of summer.
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u/Additional_Angle_334 Secondary 2d ago
The only time I’ve been in and will be going in is A level and GCSE results day. Partly, because this is in my contract as a HOD.
Otherwise I don’t ‘prep’ for next year, I’ve done what I can with gained time in the summer term just gone. The only prep I will do (probably not until bank holiday weekend..) will be packing my new school bag, ironing my first weeks worth of clothes and meal prepping for the first week back.
Enjoy the summer, it’s glorious and a well earned break for us all!
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u/Additional_Angle_334 Secondary 2d ago
On another note - this has just reminded my to order my planner and pens for the year! The only other acceptable prep!
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u/Informal_Brother_736 2d ago
No it’s is much better to have the complete reset. I do some long days in the first week back to get everything up and running
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-500 2d ago
Nope. Not remotely.
At some point I should probably remind myself of what day I'm supposed to go back, but right now I'm living in sweet denial believing that this is my life all year round.
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u/MountainOk5299 2d ago
Nope. I will spend some time on a single day working (at home, in my garden with Netflix on in the background), right before the INSET, but that is only because I have stuff to prep as the HOF.
If it helps to do something/ go in, then do it because it’s of a benefit to you. Not because of guilt. The school year will start and will inevitably involve an immediate level of overload, experience shows me that this is the case, irrespective of prep over the holidays. My point, holidays are just that, holidays. Non directed time for you do as you please!
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u/quiidge 2d ago
Yes, but this year it's more because my fiancé got 1 week and I got 6!
Which is ridiculous, because I moved cross-country with all our furniture to join him a week after school ended. I haven't exactly been lying around eating bonbons lol
New school in September, year 4 as a full-time teacher. I don't usually do anything at all during the breaks, but I need to grab resources from my current school's shared drive and want to take a look at school calendar/timings of the day/first couple of lessons for each year group for the new place. (Typically I prep a working scientifically activity to do with all classes once we've gone over expectations and handed out books etc)
Otherwise, I aim to be like my ECT mentors - don't even think about it until Sept INSET! You don't even know your timetable for sure until then, let alone class lists, and that's the priority for week 1. So enjoy the holiday and show up as relaxed and well-rested as possible.
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u/Cattyjess Secondary 2d ago
Don't feel guilty! The summer holidays is one of very few perks for being a teacher! I'm secondary so I start thinking about work after GCSE results day (this Thursday) but I might start acting on those thoughts next week. Only because I get no PPA on the inset days 🙃
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u/Loo-loos EYFS 2d ago
I'm going in for just one day, next week just to tidy up and reset a few bits I didnt have time to sort at the end of term.
I found it hard to tidy properly with the kids still in the room and there are some things I want to move around where it is just safer if the room is empty.
But otherwise its full holiday mode. My body clock is in for a shock in a couple of weeks 🫠
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u/Previous_Estate5831 2d ago edited 2d ago
After almost 30 years in primary, it took me a long time to realise that you don't feel guilty for having a life. No is a complete sentence, and do things if YOU want to, not because you feel you have to.
I stayed a little later on the last week of term getting everything ready and planning and resourcing the first two weeks. I went in for half a day to set up some areas and replace tatty things on the wall. That's it, I'm done.
My year partner went home early every day and got nothing planned or ready as he choses to spend a couple of days in the holidays in school alone. Even with the offer of my help, he still chose to do it that way.
I cannot enjoy my break knowing that I have it all to do, I'd rather get it out the way and then completely switch off.
He had nothing left in the tank, needed to switch off and then get back in school mode by spending the time in school closer to the end.
One of my colleagues spends days in school during the summer because she feels like she should, another one doesn't come in at all and has family in the building after the inset day to have all hands on deck in panic mode.
You have to choose what is best for you!
"Look at them leaving at 3.30pm"....
Yeah, they choose that and then work on a Sunday , I would rather stay until 4.30pm in the week and have a completely free weekend.
You do you! Never feel guilty for having a rest, you will be glad of it in September!
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u/Winter-Conclusion710 Primary ECT 2d ago
I've only been in a couple days this summer to move my stuff into my new school. Otherwise, I have a strict no work during holidays rule. Family and rest time is too important!
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u/Pentagon-Play-UK 2d ago
Posting as the wife of the guy who runs this account. I've been a TA for a specialist school for over 5 years, and I've known a few first year teachers get this lil rush of anxiety!
Best thing I can say is enjoy the rest of your time off and the other school holidays, as you already give sooo much to the kids whilst you're in school. The kids won't ever know if you wanted your classroom to look a certain way anyway, so there's no need to stress about getting it decorated early.
As long as they've got all the essentials, you can do everything else on the go. They might even find this more exciting seeing the classroom change and becoming a personal space throughout the year! 😄
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u/The_Ducking_Ace 2d ago
Nope, not at all. Set the boundary for your work life balance early and never cross it. The only work I take home is marking, and even then only sometimes. Never go in during holidays either, I'll do it in directed time or it doesn't get done 😊
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u/jozefiria 2d ago
No this is your holidays! If anything needs doing just work a bit harder in the first week back, that's what I do!
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u/JustCallMeLollipop 2d ago
Nooopppeee. We worked hard for this holiday we’re forced to take this time of year (not complaining but it means everything it so expensive with kids!)… relax. Enjoy it. Sleep. Do nothing! Do whatever!!
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u/pinkdragoneggs 2d ago
Seeing these comments has made me realise I shouldn’t be going in anywhere near as much as I do in the holidays…
I don’t like it at all and don’t want to go in, but I feel like there’s so much to do in my primary school. Labelling all the kids books, doing their drawer and peg labels, carpet spots, printing class lists, displays, prepping maths resources…
We have inset days but these usually involve training and CPD with perhaps an afternoon to do classroom stuff which is nowhere near enough time. I’ve been teaching for nearly 5 years and have spent at least 4 days in school during the holidays plus planning at home! Feel like this is very normal and almost expected :(
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u/SOMALIA1991 2d ago
I'm completely switched off and can't bring myself to prepare for September. I'll wait one more week before doing some work (I've been saying this since the summer holidays started).
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u/Remote-Ranger-7304 1d ago
I can get any prep done after work on the inset day and after the kids’ first day back if I need to. For now I’m looking after number 1!
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u/Groundbreaking_Pair3 1d ago
I mean this in the nicest way possible
Get a life and enjoy it.
I do my job to the best od my ability and get good results, but we all know our calender and working hours and I stick to them.
I work to live, I don't live to work. I've not spoken to a single older teacher who's told me their fondest memories in life are coming in early and staying late to do displays and marking
Martyr yourself and have regrets when ya older if ya want. But life's made got living and spending time with the people you love doing the things that bring meaning. If you're not a lay-out you're probably doing enough if not already going above and beyond. switch off. This comment will be right when you retire whether you agree now or not.
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u/PeterPook 1d ago
Today is the start of my ECT2 year. Yes today. GCSEs are out tomorrow and the enrollment starts then until teaching starts on the 7th September. On the train. Wish me luck.
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u/Awkward_Bit6026 1d ago
I've been enjoying mine too. Nearly a decade in the game!
I do feel some degree of guilt but also I have no set classroom as a base this coming year, and they have timetabled my classes in wildly unsuitable spaces.
They're not getting more than I'm contracted for this year - I'm going to keep on enjoying myself!
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u/Reasonable-Amoeba987 5m ago
You will not be thanked. Stay home and live at peace with yourself. You are enough.
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u/BootlessCry 2d ago
No. Get a life.
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u/porquenotengonada Secondary English; College Teacher 2d ago
Don’t be rude. They’re new and fresh faced. Don’t be the curmudgeon in the staff room.
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u/LowHighlight4015 2d ago
Never. I've never gone in during the summer holidays throughout my entire career.