life

Take the Time: Why This Holiday Break Should Actually Feel Like a Break

December 18, 2025by adampetersoneducationLeave a Comment

Teachers, let’s be honest—we’re absolute pros at reminding everyone else to rest, recharge, and enjoy the moment… yet somehow forget to take our own advice. It’s one of our superpowers. Right up there with spotting a missing glue stick lid from 20 feet away and knowing exactly who was goofing around in line behind you…even without looking.

But this year?
Let’s flip the script a little.

The holiday season is rolling in, and instead of filling every second with catch-up tasks, grading marathons, and “I’ll just reorganize the entire classroom real quick”—what if you gave yourself permission to simply be? To rest. To reflect. To enjoy the people you love. To enjoy yourself.

Because here’s the truth:
You’ve done enough.
You are enough.
And you deserve a break that feels like more than a long weekend with better snacks.

1. Simple Ways to Unwind (That Don’t Require a 10-Step Routine)

Let’s keep it real—teachers don’t need another complicated system to manage over the break.
Try one of these low-maintenance ways to settle in and breathe a little:

Pick one morning to sleep in. Not “sleep until the dog barks” late—really sleep.
Take a walk with no destination. Just the cool air, your thoughts, and maybe a hot chocolate if you want to get fancy.
Read something that isn’t a lesson plan. A novel. A cookbook. The back of a cereal box. Zero judgment.
Do absolutely nothing for 20 minutes. Sit. Stare out a window. Be gloriously unproductive.
Binge-watch a series. Find the latest must-watch series and binge the entire series. It’s ok.

Sometimes the best gift you can give yourself is a tiny slice of peace. A little bit of time to yourself can help calm your thoughts and allow you to reflect on the amazing year you’re about to leave behind. Even through the stresses of classroom challenges, heavy workloads, and endless to-do’s – YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT! So, it’s quite ok to accomplish not a lot over your break.

2. Family Time That Fills the Tank

Holidays and family come bundled together like a teacher and a stash of flair pens. But the magic isn’t in big plans—it’s in small, meaningful moments.

Try these simple traditions or activities:

Game night with no screens allowed. (Unless you’re playing to win… then all bets are off.)
Bake something together—even if it turns out… “just ok.”
Watch an old family movie. The nostalgic kind that makes you say, “Wow… we really wore that?”
Start a gratitude circle. Everyone shares one thing they’re thankful for from the year.

These little moments become the memories that hold the school year together when things get tough.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

3. Reflect Without Overthinking

Teachers naturally reflect—we can’t help it. But this break, try reflecting softly:

What went well this fall?
Which kids surprised you in the best ways?
What did you do that made you proud?
What do you want more of in the new year—joy, calm, time, balance?

No pressure. No long list. Just gentle thinking that points you forward without demanding perfection.

4. Take Care of You

You give so much every day. Your patience, creativity, energy, heart—those things don’t replenish themselves.

This break, remind yourself:

It’s okay to rest.
It’s okay to say no.
It’s okay to do something just because you like it.
It’s okay to put yourself first for a few days.

You’ve spent months pouring into your students. Let these weeks pour back into you.

You Deserve This Time

The holidays aren’t just a break from school—they’re a chance to reconnect with the parts of life that make teaching meaningful. Your family. Your home. Your peace. Yourself.

Take the time.
Enjoy the time.
And walk into the new year not just rested, but renewed.

Happy Holidays! – Adam

👟 When Life Feels Worn Out, It’s Time for a New Pair of Shoes

October 28, 2025by adampetersoneducationLeave a Comment

Ever notice how you feel when you slip on a brand-new pair of shoes? You stand a little taller. You walk a little lighter. There’s that “new shoe smell” and that satisfying squeak that tells you—you’re starting something new.

Now compare that to your favorite old pair of shoes. You love them because they’ve been through everything with you. They’ve walked miles of classroom carpet, playground gravel, and maybe a few sticky cafeteria floors. But at some point, those shoes start to lose their cushion. The soles wear thin. You realize—no matter how much you love them—they just don’t feel the same anymore.

The Same Happens to Us

Teaching, parenting, and life in general can wear us down in the same way. We keep walking through busy schedules, long to-do lists, and the pressure to be everything to everyone. Before we know it, our energy feels like those old soles—worn and tired. That’s been our life lately. Between school and sports we have been going nonstop for the past couple of months. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but this past weekend we all felt it. We were drained from a very emotionally tough week in our community, tired from busy schedules, and just plain worn out.

And sometimes, we just need a fresh start.

Time for a New Pair

That doesn’t mean throwing everything away and starting from scratch. It means giving yourself permission to replace what’s no longer helping you move forward.

Maybe it’s letting go of a routine that’s stopped working.
Maybe it’s saying “no” to something that used to bring joy but now just drains your time.
Or maybe it’s simply giving yourself a real break (yes, the kind where you don’t grade papers during it).

Think of those changes as lacing up a new pair of shoes—shoes that fit where you are now, not where you were months or years ago. If you know me, you know I hate to spend money on myself. So it was extremely surprising to my family when I purchased a new pair of shoes when we were out and about on a family shopping and dinner trip this past weekend. But, I did it! I spent money on some new shoes – and…they were on clearance! Win, win!

The Walk Feels Different

Once you take that first step in your new “shoes,” things start to feel lighter again. You find your stride. You look forward instead of down. You remember why you loved the walk in the first place. These new shoes were what I needed to motivate myself to get back to walking and running. But, as I started working out this morning in them, I felt the desire to be more productive with other tasks around the house. This fresh pair of shoes was helping me get a fresh start on being creative again. (Hence a new blog post in what feels like forever.) My creativity when it comes to projects and things I want to accomplish are like marathons for me. I take my time, I pace myself, but I get down on doing them when I’m worn out from a busy week.

Teaching and life are marathons, not sprints—and no runner would dream of running mile after mile in worn-out shoes. So don’t feel guilty for taking care of yourself.

So, Here’s Your Challenge

Take a moment this week to think about what feels “worn out” in your life. It could be something big, like a commitment that’s no longer bringing joy, or something small, like that old habit of skipping your morning coffee until it’s cold.

Whatever it is—trade it in. Get your new shoes ready.
Because the world needs you walking strong, confident, and ready to keep making a difference.

And who knows? You might even start running again.

Keep walking forward, friends. You’ve got this. -Adam

Leap into Learning: Exciting Leap Day Activities for Elementary Classrooms

February 20, 2024by adampetersoneducationLeave a Comment

Hello teachers and enthusiastic learners! Adam here, and today we’re diving into the world of Leap Day activities for elementary classrooms. Leap Day, that rare occurrence that happens only once every four years, is a fantastic opportunity to inject some extra fun and creativity into your lesson plans. So, let’s leap right in and explore engaging activities that will have your students jumping for joy!

Leap Year History Lesson:

Start the day by sharing the fascinating history of Leap Year. Explain the concept of adding an extra day to the calendar every four years and the reasons behind it. Make it interactive by involving students in discussions about why we have Leap Year and what it means for our calendars. So why do we do it? Well, the Earth takes about 365.25 days to go around the sun. To keep our calendar in sync with the Earth’s journey, we add that extra day to the calendar every four years. This day is February 29th, and it helps make sure that our days and seasons stay in the right order. Imagine if we didn’t have leap years – over time, our calendar would get out of sync with the seasons, and things like spring, summer, fall, and winter might not happen when they’re supposed to. Leap years help us keep everything organized and make sure that our calendar matches up with the way the Earth moves around the sun. So, in a leap year, you get an extra day in February, and that’s a special day called “Leap Day.” It’s like a bonus day that helps us keep our calendar working just right!

Math Olympics:

Turn your classroom into a math Olympics arena with leap-themed math games. Create stations where students can practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using Leap Day-related numbers. Incorporate fun props like frog-shaped counters or leapfrog game boards to make math more engaging. Over on my YouTube Channel I have a video about a fun frog-themed game I actually found at Dollar Tree a while back that would be perfect for some leaping-counting FUN!

Leap Into Reading:

Foster a love for reading with leap-themed literature. Choose books that feature frogs, jumping adventures, or tales of time travel. Have a read-aloud session or set up reading stations where students can explore Leap Day-themed books independently. Find these books and more on my Amazon Storefront here!

Leapfrog Science Experiments:

Transform your classroom into a science laboratory with leapfrog-inspired experiments. Explore the concept of gravity and motion by having students create and test paper frogs to see how far they can leap. Discuss the scientific principles behind the leaps and encourage students to make predictions and observations.

Leap Day Art Extravaganza:

Unleash the artistic talents of your students with Leap Day-inspired art projects. Provide materials for creating frog masks, leap-themed collages, or even a Leap Year calendar. Display their masterpieces around the classroom to celebrate their creativity.

Leap Minute Challenges:

Introduce a series of minute challenges related to leaping. From jumping jacks to leapfrog races, these activities will not only keep students active but also reinforce the concept of time measurement. Create a friendly competition atmosphere to make it even more exciting.

Leap Day Writing Prompts:

Ignite the imaginations of your young writers with Leap Day writing prompts. Ask them to imagine a day in the life of a leaping frog or to write a creative story involving time travel on Leap Day. Encourage them to share their stories with the class for added fun.

As we leap through this extra day on our calendars, let’s make the most of the opportunity to infuse our classrooms with excitement and learning. By incorporating these Leap Day activities, we can create a memorable and enriching experience for our elementary students. So, put on your imaginary leap shoes and get ready for a day filled with education, creativity, and lots of leaps and bounds! Happy Leap Day, everyone! Don’t forget to checkout the books, games, and other items in my Amazon Storefront Leap Day Idea List!