Get Schooled

By One

April 4, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this

We’ve had previous spring and winter breaks that included work, that’s life. However, this spring break we are headed to Miami!!!! No pollen and consistently warm weather………….I can hardly wait! Anyone have any suggestions on must-see spots? I haven’t been down in over 15 years, so I’m sure a lot has changed.

By V for Vendetta

April 4, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this

Well, I have to grade papers over spring break, but that’s life as a teacher. That having been said, I think it’s cruel to assign anything more than reading to kids over spring break. Even then, I wouldn’t assign it to any students who weren’t gifted, or maybe honors-level. Why? It just won’t get done by your average run-of-the-mill CP kid.

Spring break should be a time for relaxation, fun, drinking, the beach, the mountains, drinking, hanging out with friends, parties, drinking, and maybe if there’s still time left, drinking.

Or am I the only one who remembers spring break that way? :-)

By gwinnett educator

April 4, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this

I will be working out, resting, doing yard work, and spending quality time with my 1 yr old.

You will more than likely find us at various parks (including Stn Mtn doing the attractions) and hopefully make our first visit to the aquarium.

I hope that everyone enjoys a very safe and restful break!

By Tony

April 4, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this

The respite from the daily rituals is good for the soul. I will use the time this year to work on my dissertation. Lots of reading and writing to be done.

By gwinnett educator

April 4, 2008 9:16 AM | Link to this

I will be spending quality time with my 1 yr old, doing yard work, working out, and resting.

If the weather permits, we can be found at several local parks (including Stn Mtn for the attractions) and hopefully we will get to visit the aquarium for the first time.

It is my wish that everyone has a peaceful, enjoyable, and SAFE spring break!

By One

April 4, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this

V, I agree, there shouldn’t be much more than reading. My daughter is both (dual-magnet and honors/gifted), but I’m not sure yet that she will have anything over the break, she has had summer reading lists for years, though. Funny thing is, any reading assignment is what she likes to do anyway (both of us actually), so it’s no big deal. And for the non-accelerated kids, reading more is a good goal, and could help to improve their grades, so I say give it to them, and try to make it enjoyable…….some of them may surprise you.

By jim d

April 4, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this

I suspect more than a few of us have scheduled last minute visits to a few college campuses with our graduating seniors to finalize the decision.

Fortunately ours will be to Columbia and on over to Charleston, so we hope to throw a few good seafood meals down and consume a few cold beverages.

Hope y’all have as much fun as I plan to have!

By jim d

April 4, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this

Actually V,

As I recall, I use to eat, drink and make Mary —— ooops I meant merry!

:-)

By Ernest

April 4, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this

My youngest children got a project that requires working with another student and will be due on Tuesday after Spring Break. While the project is not that difficult, you could imagine the ‘choice words’ we said under our breath about the assignment. As a result, it will be a working vacation.

At the same time, I know of some schools that ‘request’ assignments not be given over the break so that kids can relax and recharge the batteries also. After all, they would want their staff to have some much needed down time also, to prepare for the last stretch before the end of school year.

By eleteach

April 4, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

My boys have been given simple reading assignments in the past. It’s usually the people who enjoy reading as mentioned in previous posting who wouldn’t give it much thought. However, both of my boys are math/science oriented students. My boys always say, why does it have to be a casual reading assignment, why can’t it be a casual math assignment??? Just food for thought.

By JJ

April 4, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this

My 17 year old is getting her driver’s license next week. SCARY..

By Lee

April 4, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this

My daughter’s private school spring break began on Friday and reconvened the Tuesday after the break, for a total of eleven days off.

They realize that many families travel and often depart before the weekend crush and may not return until late Sunday.

They also did not assign any work over the break. Hence, the term, spring BREAK.

Wow. Common sense in education. What a concept.

By Teacher, Too

April 4, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this

I apologize if this posts twice. We’re having server problems.

Anyway, I don’t assign homework over spring break to my students or to me! As Lee stated, it’s a break. I plan to drink margaritas and beer, read chick-lit, visit some friends, and maybe do a little shopping. Fun stuff that I like to do- grade papers, heavens no! Write lesson plans- did that this week. Now- just counting down hours and minutes until 4:30, just like the kids are.

I do have students working on long-term projects. I have given the students all week to work on their projects- if the kids want to work over spring break, that’s up to them. I certainly don’t require it. They tell me that sometimes they get bored and want to have something to do- okay, if that’s how they want to spend their spring break, fine with me.

I’ll be toasting to vacation with a margarita about 5:00 today! WHA-HOO!!!

By One

April 4, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

eleteach, does being math/science oriented mean they don’t like to read? Just curious, because my daughter is math/science minded too (more math than science, lol), but just naturally loves reading (me too). Did I get lucky? lol

Teacher, Too…..cheers!! I’ll be having a good one about 4 (leaving the office today at 3!). And late Saturday night, we’ll be heading for Miami. Anything my daughter does end up with (if any) will have to go with us!!

By hs sped

April 4, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

I gave an extra credit assignment. Totally optional; no consequences for not doing it. Like many others, I have to use the week to get caught up with grading and entering said grades into mgb.com (after first creating the assignments in the program) and organizing data for RTI level 4 notebooks. Fun, fun, fun!!

By JustMe

April 4, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this

The type of student I teach seem to procrastinate on all assignments. So, if they haven’t been working on their ‘projects’ or ‘papers’ all along, then yes, they may have to do the work over the break. But, that is their own doing. However, I am sure that the student and/or parent will blame me.

jd - It’s always the teacher’s fault, right?

By V for Vendetta

April 4, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this

Gwinnett Ed,

Take your kid to the aquarium! I took mine for her one AND two year birthdays. It’s just a bigger and bigger hit each year. They love it.

By flipper

April 4, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this

Ugh - I hate the aquarium. If I want to watch fish die, I’ll just go to the farmer’s market for free. Well, now that I think about it the aquarium does offer an added bonus b/c you also get to watch marine mammals die.

By JJ

April 4, 2008 1:26 PM | Link to this

I love the Aquarium. I took my daughter for her 17th birthday and her cousin. We went on a Friday morning, and had the entire place to ourselves. There was NO ONE there, except for two “field trip” crowds, but we only ran into them once. We had a blast……..

By Butcher

April 4, 2008 1:33 PM | Link to this

I went to spring break in 1971. Daytona Beach. It was mostly fat guys wearing beer hats. The rare chick was also surrounded by fat guys wearing beer hats. No action. No fun. Nothing but cars on the beach big deal. Hated spring break. To get laid, I had to go back to my campus and do laundry. Always plenty of half naked babes there.

Spring Phooey!

By Matt

April 4, 2008 1:58 PM | Link to this

I have papers to grade, but they will wait until after spring BREAK. It is a break from school and students, so you can recharge for the surge to come. I do not assign any work to my seniors over spring break. I do not want to do anything over the BREAK, and I figure they feel the same way. Italy…. here I come!!

By mmm

April 4, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

Trying to watch kids and write a charter for a middle school at the same time. AAAAAAh!

By Dee

April 4, 2008 9:10 PM | Link to this

I will visit my parents for a couple of days. Then I want to have lunch with some friends. Finally, I’ll grade test papers before the week is over.I wanted to go to San Fran,but my week is full.Maybe I’ll go in June!

By thomas

April 5, 2008 6:48 PM | Link to this

I have been a teacher going on 6 years now. I taught mostly at the elementary levels. I have given homework over the Spring Break. These were optional activities that were designed as review for the CRCT. Maybe a little bit of reading.

I find that too much homework is given nowadays. Many times teachers use homework as a tool to teach what they could not teach or had time to teach in the classroom. This is especially true in the middle class schools, where parents often help (and sometimes DO) the homework. In the lower and working class schools, the piles of homework often don’t exist since those parents either don’t have the time or are unwilling to do their children’s homework for them. So the globs of work don’t get done.

I am aganist homework being assigned over spring break. What’s the point?

By OldSchool

April 5, 2008 9:35 PM | Link to this

I’ll be heading back on Monday to wind up the remaining 2 months of my 34th year of instruction. Our spring break was cold, wet, and absolutely the best…spent time with both our girls and their families! I’m re-energized and ready to get back to my high school younguns!

If my students are as refreshed and raring to go as I am, it’s gonna be a grand end to a great year! (haven’t been able to honestly say that in about 10 years!) Can’t wait til next school year either!

For those of you just getting spring break started, be safe, drive carefully, enjoy your time off, and be kind to each other!

By Political Foreskin

April 6, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this

Spring Break. Sun. Wind. Waves. A break from spandex. I’ve long since given up trying to get laid during spring break. I’m 57. I haven’t gotten lucky at the beach in 40 years, and even then I lied about it. There were no chicks in Daytona Beach 40 years ago. Oh, there was one or two here and there, but they were always surrounded by fat guys wearing beer hats going “Woooo”. I hated wooooo. I hated fat guys.

But even now I love beer hats. So, when I go to spring break now, I wear a beerhat, find a babe, and join about two dozen other fat aging baby boomers in going, “wooooo”. and block the view from the younger cool guys who try to steal our women. bwa ha.

By Bodyguard Liu

April 6, 2008 11:09 PM | Link to this

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By luvs2teach

April 7, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this

I brought home a little work - very little - I tried to get the bulk of stuff done before the break. I have some work to do for a class I’m taking and I have some blogging to catch up on, lol. Other than that, I’m not doing much other than giving my home a good cleaning and planting some flowers. I don’t travel during spring break because I have another trip I make the first Saturday in May (any guesses?) and I save my money for that and the summer.

As far as the students go, I don’t give them anything - no CRCT prep, no projects - nothing. I always hated when my personal children had assignments to worry about and complete over break. I joke with the kids that I do that more for their parents than for them. I do have a science blog and I’ll post on it during the week - some of my kids will check it out and comment - usually if they are really bored. I tell them they should be reading for fun, running around outside, planting a garden, going to the zoo or aquarium - they’ll gain more from that than some stupid CRCT prep packet.

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March 25, 2009 6:59 AM | Link to this

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