We all need breaks from our job, time to do other things or to do nothing at all. The job of a teenager is to be a student and, I’ll say again, we all need breaks from our job.
I’d really be upset if my principal gave work to complete over the vacation (in fact, when grades are due the day we return from a 4-day weekend, that’s exactly how many teachers feel). You’d be downright rebellious if your boss slapped you with a report on your way out for that trip to Hawaii. Vacation allows us to pursue other interests, even if those interests involve simply sitting on the couch all day.
A short novel to read; a lab report to write; an era to be investigated; a chapter to complete. Homework from English, science, history, and math. All of that adds up to no time during the break to be free of school. When students are robbed of vacation time by assigned homework, they are robbed of the chance to spend time finding what keeps them interested in life, the passion that will drive them to finish school and become a success.
If you’re on vacation this week, enjoy it. If you aren’t, be sure that you do enjoy it when vacation comes around. Just don’t forget that we all need time off to enjoy things other than our jobs. Everyone needs time to wind down.