Listen up, teachers.
I’ve had the privilege of enjoying quite a few spring breaks in my day. I’ve gotten my excitement out of the ever-popular Rocky Point, San Diego, Las Vegas and even Canada to tackle the snowy mountains with my snowboard.
All of them were fun in their own ways and they all had one common factor: They allowed me a break from the daily schoolwork grind.
Because that is what spring break is all about, isn’t it?
A break.
A refreshing week to help us refocus on the finals that are shortly going to take over our lives and steal our precious sleep from us.
It’s a week to regain our sanity to help students finish the semester with a bang instead of a whimper.
But not this year.
Something was different this year. I don’t feel refreshed, relaxed or ready to take on the rest of the semester with the motivation and energy I know I could have.
Why? Because for some reason, teachers took spring break and transformed the week into a horrifying excuse to load more work and extra assignments on to students.
I understand the semester is only so long and there is always more material to cover than time will allow.
I understand that, in the course of one week, students should be able to set aside some time for schoolwork.
But to overload students with extra reading and online tests is a bit unnecessary, don’t you think?
Some students don’t even get to relax as much as they could on spring break as they tend to work more hours at their jobs, catch up on scholarship and internship applications or take the time to catch up on their studies they have fallen behind on.
While these students aren’t going to the beaches or any vacation for that matter, it is at least slightly relaxing to not have homework deadlines or to hear their alarm clocks going off at 7 a.m.
So why overwhelm students even more by piling on additional work?
I like to think that most students at ASU want to perform well in their classes and want to go above and beyond their own expectations. That’s why we pay to go to school here.
Teachers don’t seem to understand that by adding on the work, they are not helping students accomplish or learn more; on the contrary, they are hurting them by not allowing a week to regroup and rest especially right after midterms.
I also like to think that most teachers at ASU care an awful lot about their students. Teaching is a very noble profession, and teachers want to see their students absorb the information they are given and apply it to their lives in a way that will only help them succeed.
Help us succeed by giving us the break we need in order to do our best.
Teachers, spring break is already over this year, so let’s start fresh next year. Besides, don’t you deserve a break, too?
Heather needs a break. Reach her at hcutler@asu.edu.
