{"id":1196,"date":"2018-03-01T11:59:20","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T17:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/?p=1196"},"modified":"2019-09-10T17:18:11","modified_gmt":"2019-09-10T23:18:11","slug":"sip-7-7-creating-true-breaks-not-assigning-work-over-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/sip-7-7-creating-true-breaks-not-assigning-work-over-break\/","title":{"rendered":"SIP 7.7 Creating \u201cTrue\u201d Breaks — Not Assigning Work Over Break"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Have you ever noticed that the energy in the classroom after Spring Break can be a little . . . subdued? If you are like many academics, you work through Spring Break and expect your students\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to use the time to get caught up on reading and assignments.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0You might have found yourself feeling a little\u00a0<\/span><\/span>tired and grumpy when\u00a0<\/span><\/span>stepping back into the classroom after that “working vacation.”<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>And your students<\/span><\/span>\u2014they’re\u00a0<\/span><\/span>tired and grumpy, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Take a SIP of This: Creating \u201cTrue\u201d Breaks — Not Assigning Work Over Break<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

It turns out that taking time off is\u00a0actually connected\u00a0to increased learning, focus,\u00a0productivity, and\u00a0creativity, as well as better health (Project: Time Off, 2016<\/a>)\u00a0(https:\/\/www.projecttimeoff.com\/research\/high-price-silence<\/a>). Imagine coming back to the classroom after Spring Break full of energy and\u00a0finding your students engaged, excited to discuss course content, and even bringing new creativity to their assignments!\u00a0Fun fact:\u00a0Lin-Manuel Miranda came up with the idea for his musical\u00a0Hamilton<\/i>\u00a0on vacation<\/a>\u00a0(https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/lin-manuel-miranda-says-its-no-accident-hamilton-inspiration-struck-on-vacation_us_576c136ee4b0b489bb0ca7c2<\/a>).\u00a0Taking a break from work, whether it’s the work of teaching or the work of learning, allows us to\u00a0replenish\u00a0our energy and our brains.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Breaks can also protect against burnout, which occurs when\u00a0prolonged stress results in mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion.\u00a0Being a student is stressful, and for MSU Denver students, who are often also juggling work, caretaking, and other\u00a0responsibilities, burnout is a serious threat.\u00a0Students\u00a0who are experiencing burnout simply cannot learn anymore.\u00a0In one study, people who took a vacation had significantly lower rates of burnout than people who didn’t take a vacation (http:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/10615806.2003.10382974<\/a>).\u00a0Unfortunately, because so many faculty have become accustomed to working on the edge of burnout, we may\u00a0inadvertently\u00a0encourage\u00a0student\u00a0burnout.\u00a0You can help students break the cycle of burnout by not assigning work over Spring Break and sharing with them the importance of taking a true break.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A true break means not just being\u00a0physically\u00a0away from campus but being mentally away, too\u2014participating in activities completely different from the ones associated with school, including critical reading, notetaking, analytical\u00a0writing, etc.\u00a0Taking a break is not about going somewhere else;\u00a0students (and faculty) can experience the benefits of a vacation by\u00a0putting their textbooks and computers away and engaging in a staycation, complete with leisure activities\u00a0such as watching movies;\u00a0skiing, hiking, snowboarding, and other outdoor pursuits; napping; going to a museum; and general goofing off.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What can you do?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Tell\u00a0students\u00a0you won’t be working over Spring Break\u2014and then don’t work over Spring Break.\u00a0Be a role model.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Tell\u00a0students\u00a0that their only\u00a0homework\u00a0for your class during Spring Break is to unplug their brains and come back refreshed and ready to learn.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Create a discipline-related assignment that incorporates “data” or other experiences from a true break from school work to be completed\u00a0after<\/i>\u00a0the break.\u00a0For example, psychology students could take pre-Spring Break and post-Spring Break measures of their stress levels.\u00a0In any class that deals with identity, students could reflect after\u00a0break\u00a0on how\u00a0their activities during break align with or challenge\u00a0norms.\u00a0In almost any class, you could simply ask students when they return from Spring Break to share what they learned about relaxing and draw conclusions or produce documents\u00a0that are relevant to your discipline, such as a statistical analysis in a math class,\u00a0a poem in a creative writing class, or a set of instructions for properly relaxing in a technical writing course.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Don’t schedule an exam for the day students return from Spring Break, which implies they should spend their break studying. Likewise, don’t make a major assignment due upon their return. If you already scheduled an exam or assignment to be turned in, bump it back a few days and explain to students why you are doing so.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. If you have a late work policy, stop the clock for Spring Break.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. If you teach online, encourage students to take Spring Break off by emailing them and posting an announcement to say that you will not be checking into the course during the break and you hope they won’t, either.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Tell students who are behind that you will meet with them to talk about getting caught up\u00a0after<\/i>\u00a0Spring Break. Let them know that you are doing this deliberately because taking the week off will\u00a0actually help\u00a0them get caught up in the long run.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It’s still a few weeks away, but we hope you and your students enjoy\u00a0Spring Break!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Still Thi<\/strong>rsty? Take another SIP of Creating \u201cTrue Breaks — Not Assigning Work Over Break<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n