What You Don’t Need to Fix Over Break
Holiday break has a way of sneaking pressure into what is supposed to be rest.
The emails slow down. The building is quiet. And suddenly, the mental list gets louder.
I should catch up on planning.
I should rethink that unit.
I should finally fix the systems that feel messy.
But here is the truth most educators need to hear right now.
You do not need to fix anything over break.
Break is not the time to solve instructional gaps, redesign behavior plans, or map out the rest of the year. It is not a productivity challenge disguised as rest.
Break is a pause. And pauses have a purpose.
When you step away, your brain is still doing important work. It is sorting. Letting go. Making space. That space is what allows clarity to show up later.
Many of the things that feel urgent right now will look different once routines restart and students are back in front of you. Problems become clearer in context. Solutions become simpler when you are not exhausted.
Nothing meaningful is lost by waiting.
The curriculum will still be there.
The data will still be there.
The questions will still be there.
What you do not want to lose is your energy, your perspective, or your sense of steadiness before January even begins.
If you are carrying guilt for not “using break wisely,” consider this instead:
Rest is not avoidance.
Rest is preparation.
The best thing you can do over break is allow yourself to stop fixing and start restoring.
January will come soon enough. When it does, you will meet it with more clarity if you actually let yourself pause now.
You are not behind.
