It’s almost here. A little reprieve and some much deserved rest! Before you run for that door, here are a few things you should do before leaving school for break that later you will thank yourself for.
Clear out your rations
We all store snacks and such at school. Make sure before you leave you close up anything that is open, toss out anything that will expire or cause an issue. EX: Coffee cream, stuff in the communal fridge or if you have one in your room. Wash out your coffee cups, and put snacks in airtight containers. Heaven help if you go back and find the ants have invaded or your coffee cup has grown a colony of something you can donate to the high school science class.
Tech Troubleshoot
If you leave your tech at school here’s a few things you should do before you walk out the door in case someone decides to reset a drive, do a wipe of school tech or something else that may cause you undue headaches.
- Backup all your documents.
- Make sure you have documents you need/want to use again in your personal Google Drive or backed up on a personal drive. (I definitely advocate for using a personal drive. Check out this post for more Google Drive tips.)
- Update all the apps and systems. (Or with this one, wait until you get back because who knows how many updates will have come out in that 2 week period).
- Check that you have the appropriate chargers in the right places/where you need them.
Make a List
Of stuff you want to do that is unrelated to school!
- Sleep
- Stay in your PJs
- Clean the pile by the doorway
- Enjoy some warm beverages and outdoor activities in the snow
- Make appointments
- Schedule a massage, a haircut, a manicure or something else to help you recharge.
Prep Your Room
- Hide mallets.
- Cover instruments.
- Put away as many small things as you can.
- Remind your admin that your room needs at least some temperature control because wooden instruments, piano, etc.
- Put away and lock up any personal items.
- Place a “don’t put anything on me” note on the piano.
- Shut down any electronics, the sound system, smart board etc.
- Make sure any personal student info is locked up.
- Turn in any necessary paperwork to the office like an accident report or a parent contact log.
Remove Your School Email from Your Phone
They will call you if it’s an emergency.
Check Out
It IS a break. You don’t need to bring home the kitchen sink. You will not use it. Make a short list of stuff that HAS to be done when you get back and tell yourself you have a couple of hours one day before you go back and that’s it. No endless working, just a time limit on the absolute necessaries like lesson plans and copies for the first few days back. Better if you can go into the break with those already done but we know that isn’t always realistic.
Looking for more ideas? Check out This Music Teacher’s Guide to Holiday Break and Eight Things You Need to Do This Break.
Enjoy your break!
