April school vacation has come and gone. As I woke up this morning, I realized that it’s back to reality for me. Then it struck me, do I really feel so much like I’m in a bubble on these weeks without dance? As a dance teacher, I also work as a waitress to make up for the days I am not teaching, so I still have work. Essentially it only gives me 2 full days off, and my Saturday mornings off. Does being away from dance really knock me off my game that much?
I find that it’s often hard to get back into the groove when I have time off. Dance gives me structure to work with, so I tend to plan out my weeks around lesson-planning and working around my teaching schedule. When I don’t have that, I either have to be on top of my game with self-discipline, or I lose a week easily. That happened this April school vacation. I made lots of fun plans, and wound up not realizing until, well, NOW that I didn’t keep on top of things as well as I should have.
Mentally I need to make sure that I am prepared. It’s often worse for my students to get back into the groove. They went from having these busy hectic lives with school, dance, social lives, after school activities, etc, to having a week off. I know for a fact that many of them wind up sleeping in, take lazy days on the couch, hang out with friends when they do feel like doing something, and don’t really stay active. On the opposite end, some of the students go on vacations where their schedules are packed in with sightseeing and eating out. So either way, the kids come back tired, unadjusted, and not on their games.
It’s particularly difficult with April school vacation. This year, and with many years past, the competitive students at the studio I work at will be jumping into a week of preparation for a regional competition. It’s also about to become crunch-time for the recreational students- recitals are only a few weeks away! Now is the time to start “The Elimination Game”, practicing in smaller groups, and doing their dances away from the mirror. The emphasis is on cleaning, and smiling big for all their friends and families! While it makes it easier on my lesson plans, it makes it harder for the kids to focus when they return.
So how does one bounce back after a week of fun? For me, it’s all about the mentality. Organizing my thoughts into one single place, and making sure that I am prepared for anything is key. Also reinstating my typical morning routine helps. Cup of coffee, a little online work, watch some tv, prep for classes, and eventually get ready! I will head in early to make sure that my music is set, and I will most likely stretch a bit so that my body doesn’t completely rebel as I demonstrate moves!
Personally, I will be spending this morning getting my head back to teaching mode. My students are all at school, and I can imagine most of them yawning through their first few classes, as I’m sure many of them will be yawning later tonight in my classes as well! It also does not help that it is raining out! However, I am truly looking forward to seeing all my wonderful students, and hearing about all the incredible adventures they had over vacation!
How was your vacation? Do you often find yourself struggling to get back into a disciplined mode after time off?
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