First Day of the Holiday – heaven or hell?

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Julia

If you work in education, when is the first day of your summer holiday? Is the next day, whether it is the week-end or not, or is it the first day without WORK? I picked up a conversation on Twitter over the week-end between two folk who were really struggling to find equilibrium.  They both felt strange, disconnected and ‘odd’.

For me the first day is the next work day, which is often a Monday. I’m not good with Mondays . As a head teacher I always had a long list of all the jobs I was going to do over the holidays that I just had not been able to get to during term time. I was always excited about the list and the promise of getting things crossed off.

When I was working, the first day invariably saw me back at school tidying, throwing away and shredding a year’s worth of papers, many unread! I think it was this mundane activity that helped ‘bring me down’ from the adrenalin rush that is the last few days of the school year.

Once I retired of course, I don’t have the rush but interestingly, I still have the anti-climax and this year it has been awful. I suppose it has to do with my involvement in schools through my Governor work as well as all the antics I’ve got up to via this blog. Whatever it was, I felt completely lost. I tried to get going on the list that I have for the summer (yes, I’ve got a list this year!) but was incapable of any thoughts or actions. I was unable to take my husband’s advice and sit and read or do my jig-saw which is always there for times when I need to relax.

Hopefully, as the next few days pass, it will get easier. I wondered if it was the realization that I am retired and my psyche is rebelling against such a notion. Who knows! I do know there are some colleagues out there who haven’t finished for the holidays yet.  So, how was the first day of the holidays for you? Did you have a wonderful elation of freedom and release or did you suffer withdrawal symptoms?

If you went through the withdrawal phase, is that because you are in education? Is there any other profession that gives you such highs and lows? Leave a comment as it may help those yet to get to their First Day of the Holiday!

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  • jfb57

    Thank you for your comment Judith. It’s comforting to know it’s not just me who is tied into school times! 

  • Judith

    Thanks for coming by my blog, A View From the Woods, Julia. In replying to your comment there, I refer to this post of yours, which interested me very much. To spare you the necessity of another click, here’s my reply:
    I enjoy your blog — like you, my year until very very recently always revolved around school. (A perpetual student rather than teacher or administrator, however.)
    New Year’s always in my mind and spirit came the beginning of September.
    After enough years however (I am 77 this particular one) I find, hmmmm, liberation! Or something that feels like it —
    New Year’s is, well, this morning. It happens, Julia.

  • jfb57

    It certainly is complicated & so annoying. now that we have the time it should be easy to slip into it. Still, we feel such a s esnse of achievement when it goes well though don’t we? 

  • jfb57

    It is so difficult isn’t it Beck? I find it fascinating to. Something that new teachers should know I think. Good luck with the new room!

  • http://twitter.com/CarrotyCarrots CarrotyCarrots

    Interesting post!  For me the holidays usually become real on the first Monday after we break up.  However, I went away for the weekend and returned home on Monday, so today was the first day of being at home and not having to get up for work.  I do find it strange.  My husband is still working, as he is not in Education, and I spent the day not really doing anything, although I had loads to do.  I also have the dreaded feeling that I have so much to do at work.  We are going up to a three-form entry and I need to go in and ‘create’ a new classroom before our new teacher arrives.  I am trying to get motivated to do it this week so I can enjoy the rest of the holidays.  However, I am a procrastinator…

  • Lynda

    Yes, an interesting thought.  Like you, I am now ‘semi-retired’ but the feeling of not being part of a team has hit me very hard indeed.  I have always wanted to run my own business so have achieved that, but somehow it isn’t enough.  Every day feels the same – no definition between weekdays, weekends and holidays.  Watching the budget carefully due to going from a very good salary to a small pension has also meant no more frivolous shopping trips, impulsive buys and treats.  I also feel a heavy burden of guilt for the ‘lost’ feeling, bearing in mind that I have so much to be grateful for.  It’s a complicated set of feelings but I’m sure as I settle into my new-found freedom, I’ll find my place again.