We finally made it to spring break. One week and two weekends of no schedules, rest and relaxation. Right? Oh, well, if you are smart you have actually gone on a vacation and NOT taken any school work. You have a book to read for fun, some great tunes to listen to, fun and loving people to hang out with, and you take the time to get some solid sleep.
I have been teaching for 38 years. I do rest and relax, and sometimes actually go on a vacation during break. Many times I schedule all the doctor and dentist visits I can during those mini breaks so I don't have to take sick days during school time. When a teacher is gone, the students won't get the same quality of education delivered to them like you will deliver. And they miss you. And the truth of the matter is that it is easier to schedule appointments on a break than it is to spend the hours to write sufficient and effective sub plans. When I am gone, I have to write plans for every grade level I see that day - K - 6. Some of them I can combine, but more than likely, I'm making 5-7 lessons for the sub. Substitutes LOVE it when you leave plans that include your rules, your procedures, bathroom and drink policies, where the Band-Aids are and a schedule of your classes. They REALLY love it when you leave a picture seating chart so they can tell when someone isn't sitting in the right place, and a bit of a phonetic spelling of names that are hard to pronounce.
So, be good to yourself when you have a break. Take care of the necessary things, and rest and relax. If you have to take time off during school, also take care of your substitute. If you have ever subbed before, you know that the best plans make your life a whole lot more pleasant.
For me, the week will be full of doctor and dentist appointments, hair appointment, and unfortunately some school work. Sometimes planning is actually calming, especially if you have 10 days to do it in!