As teacher convention week is now in sight, students are given extra time to relax and catch up on work they may have fallen behind on right before the marking period comes to a close. But is it fair for teachers to give extra work for this time off because we, “have extra time to work on it”? MDO chatted with students at the Madison High School to see what the majority of students felt was the most effective way to spend these extra two days off. Catching up on work? Relaxing? Or being given more work? Let’s find out!

 

MDO spoke with Madison High School senior, Holli Park, who believes this break should be spent, “relaxing” her reasoning for this is because, “senior year is more pressure and the course load is heavier so [she] feel[s] like adding more assessments does not help anybody, it just creates more chaos” (Park).

 

After getting a stressed out senior’s perspective, MDO spoke to two Madison High School juniors to see what their responses would be. Junior Emma Yousey says that “as juniors [they] are going on college tours [and they] need time to travel to those places…[they] don’t have the time to do the work” (Yousey). Similarly, junior Emily Keller says, “when you have a break you plan things for that break, you’re not focusing on school” (Keller).

 

Additionally, MDO met with some faculty members at MHS to see what their plans for their students were for this mini-break.

 

MHS English teacher, Monica Cleary says, “[she has] given [her] students work, but not more work than [she] would give over a typical weekend. [She] think[s] it is important for [her students] mental health to have a break from academic stressors” (Cleary).

 

Ultimately, the general consensus was that breaks should be spent recharging and relaxing, not stressing and studying.

 

What will you be doing during this four day weekend?