What Type of Winter Break Teacher Are You? (Ep. 448)

Welcome to Art Ed Radio, the podcast for art teachers. This show is produced by the Art of Education University, and I’m your host, Tim Bogatz.

I want to do just a fun, quick episode today. We are almost at winter break and honestly, nobody has the time or the attention for an hour-long podcast the week before break. So we’re going to move through things quickly today, and I’m going to ask the question because I want to know what type of winter break teacher are you? I was thinking about this. I was thinking about how everybody deals with winter break a little bit differently, and I came up with three different types of teachers and how they deal with winter break. And they are the overachievers, the relaxation specialists and the creatives. And we’ll talk a little bit more about what makes up each of those types and maybe what you are, so think about that.

But before we get started, before we dive into the three types, a couple of housekeeping items. Number one, no podcast the next two weeks. As everybody’s on winter break, the podcast is going to be taking a break as well. So no episode on December 24th or December 31st, but we’ll be back on January 7th with the January mailbag. So Amanda and I are looking forward to seeing what questions come in and seeing what we can answer for you. So if you have questions, email me timothybogatz@theartofeducation.edu, or email podcasts@theartofeducation.edu. Got a couple of really good ones already, looking for a couple good additional questions and we’re excited to come back with the podcast on January 7th.

Also, in January, we are going to be doing Art Club. This is going to be Thursday, January 9th. And Art Club is part of the AOEU online community, so the Art of Ed Community, and part of that is Art Club, which is a monthly meeting. It’s a meetup where teachers get together and share ideas, learn some fun new tips and tricks, and make a little bit of art too. So our January Art Club is going to have Amanda and me on as guests. We’re going to be making art, we’re going to be doing some drawing. We’re going to be doing some giveaways and talking about the NOW Conference, so you are not going to want to miss the Live Art Club event. It’s going to be held on Thursday, January 9th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central, and you can RSVP and mark your calendar in the Art of Ed Community. And if you are not in the Art of Ed Community, please go join. We want to have you there. We’re doing so many cool things. You can find it at community.theartofeducation.edu. We’ll link to that in the show notes and we’re hoping that we can see you there.

Now, let’s get back to talking winter break. Like I said, I want to know what type of winter break art teacher are you. Are you an overachiever, a relaxation specialist or a creative? And so, this is what I was thinking about with overachievers. The overachievers, and this is not derogatory, I wish I were an overachiever, to be honest, but these are the art teachers who cannot sit still. They can’t relax over break. Like their break is a time for productivity. It is a time for accomplishing things, getting things checked off the list, getting that to-do list done. And so, they might be starting planning for semester two. They might be at school, organizing in their classroom. They might be doing PD hours or courses or workshops or whatever to make them a better teacher. I know some teachers who are writing grants, applying for grants and trying to get art shows set up over break.

They might be looking for new teaching strategies or tools to implement after the break or reading about professional practice. There are a lot of great things that they can be doing to make themselves a better teacher. Now, again, that is not me. I need to take some time off from school when it’s break, but I know there are those people who really want to get things going for themselves. They want to set themselves up for success. In the second semester, they want to really just take that opportunity to get better at what they do. And like I said, props to them and it’s something that I cannot do, but I respect everybody who is doing that.

Type two, this is the relaxation specialist. And so, I’m thinking of those people that are trying to relax, so those are the people who are consciously stepping away from school-related responsibilities. And they’re stepping away from school, they’re focusing on themselves or their home or their family or whatever they are, whatever that may be for them, they are focusing on that. They’re focusing on rest, they’re focusing on rejuvenation.

And so, what does that look like? It could look different for everybody. They could be doing some traveling, whether they’re going on a quick vacation to relax, they’re going to a cabin, they’re going somewhere warm, whatever the case may be. They’re trying to relax, they’re trying to get away from things. And it could be spending time with their family. It could be catching up on Netflix. It could be reading books for enjoyment, something unrelated to art or to teaching. It might be practicing mindfulness or doing some other self-care routines. Maybe it’s hobby time, cooking or puzzles or whatever may be. I was going to say gardening, but it’s winter, so very small percentage of us are doing any gardening. Maybe you’re just out trying to get out in nature, even if it’s cold. Maybe you’re taking walks or getting outside for an exploration of some sort, connecting with nature. And there could be a new skill that they’re trying to come up with, a new hobby that they want to try and they’re finally having the time to do that. Something that helps them get away from school, something that helps them relax.

And so, I think there are a lot of forms that can take my question about relaxation and being an overachiever, is can you balance the two? Because I know there are a lot of people who want to get work done in order to set yourself up for relaxation. Like you want to relax, but there’s something nagging you. There’s that to-do list that needs to be done before you can truly relax. My wife is like this. I’m well familiar with the idea that you got to get those things done, and then you feel better that you can sort of compartmentalize that. You can put that to-do list away once it’s finished and then you can fully relax without having that worry.

And a lot of times, the same way as a teacher, I really like staying a little late on the last day before break or taking a few days before break to kind of prepare. And I would do that to get everything set up for the first day back. Like seriously, everything set up for the first day back. And then once it’s all ready to go, I have my lesson, I have my supplies, I have everything that needs to be done, ready to go to start semester two. And then after that, I do literally nothing. Like I forget that I have a classroom, I forget that I have a job. And then, we put that all away until we go back to school. And then I get back to school, I’m like, “Oh my goodness. Thank you to past me for setting all this up.”

Because you’re just able to relax. You’re able to chill out for a while and then you know that when you go back into school, everything is finished, everything is done. And honestly, it can be a little tough when it’s four o’clock on that last day before break, like break has started. Everybody’s out of there. Everybody’s been gone for a while, and the custodian comes, like, “Hey, hey, what are you still doing here?” And like I said, that stings a little bit, but it’s so worth it to be able to put that away and have a real break, but still be prepared for what’s coming when you get back to school.

All of that being said, we’ve not touched on type number three, our teacher type. Number three are the creatives. I’m thinking of the people who spend their break diving really deep into their own artistic pursuits. And so, maybe they’re working on some small projects, maybe they have a bunch of sketchbook stuff that they want to do. Maybe they’re trying to explore some new media or maybe they’re finishing some long-term projects or some paintings or creations that you’ve been working on for a long time. Maybe doing some winter art shows, or if you have an Etsy shop or an online shop, doing what you need to do to keep that going.

And maybe you’re collaborating with some other artists or doing some community art things, making gifts for friends, making gifts for family or doing a quick sketchbook challenge or trying to dive into that creative habit that you want to get started in the new year. Or one thing that I love to do is just visiting museums, visiting galleries, just because we all love to visit museums, whether it is just to feed your artistic soul, or whether you want some inspiration for what you’re going to create, that’s time well spent. And so I think having that free time that we don’t have during the school year is so nice, and being able to just dive into the creative endeavors that you don’t have time for otherwise and taking advantage of that opportunity is great.

So as I kind of described those and as I think of those, I would love to know like what type of winter break art teacher are you and what type do you wish you could be? Or if you are a creative, are you happy being a creative? Are you happy embracing that time? Or do you wish you could relax a little bit more? Or do you wish you could be a little more productive? I think I’m somebody who really likes to relax. And then after I have done that for a few days, I like to dive into a few creative pursuits. And so, I think I maybe have a foot in both, sort of straddling both worlds there. And so, I’m curious to know what other people’s thoughts are. And I think that might be the case. Like are you part of one? Part of another? Are you somebody who gets all their stuff done as an overachiever and then dives into their artistic pursuits? I think that’s definitely impossible. So I think you could in fact be all three. So I would love to hear from you. Email me if you have some thoughts that you want to share. I think we’re going to start a discussion over on the AOEU community, the Art of Ed Community. So if you want to jump over there and join the discussion, I’m curious to see what people have to say.

And I will also just add the disclaimer. Like none of these types of our teachers are better or worse. They just are. And you may fit multiple. You may not fit any of these. You may approach your break completely different from any of these. And it’s just something that I was curious about, something that I wanted to start a discussion on. Now, I will have a couple of resources in the show notes that can kind of help for anything, if you want to pursue your creativity a little bit more, if you want some help relaxing and stepping away from things, I think that could be good. So we’ll check out maybe some art challenges or some online prompts, if you want to dive into the creativity, maybe some mindfulness ideas or de-stressing routines. We’ll see what we can find, what we can put together. And honestly, if you’re an overachiever, you probably already have your to-do list, you don’t need any suggestions from me, but we’ll put in what we can.

Hey, a couple other things that I was thinking about. I wanted to give book recommendations for a couple of the three types, and I also want to talk about what famous artists are doing and how they may approach their break, so I wanted to explore those a little bit. So again, overachievers, you probably have your book list, you probably have your to-be read, so I’m not going to throw anything at you.

But if you are a relaxation specialist or you want to relax a little bit more, my book suggestion would be a book called The Art of Doing Nothing by Veronique Vienne. And it’s a great exploration of just kind of how to embrace doing nothing, like being idle, being still, and finding the joy in super simple, just those moments in life where you’re not hurried, you’re not feeling like you have to do something. And there are essays on the art of breathing, the art of meditating, the art of bathing, listening, waiting and there are just all kinds of great insights in there and some really practical suggestions for mindfulness and finding contentment in your everyday activities, whether you’re just sitting in a warm spot or sipping a cup of tea or opening a book that you’ve been wanting to read. So just the idea of doing nothing can be an art form in itself, and I think that’s a really worthwhile message. So again, that’s called The Art of Doing Nothing by Veronique Vienne.

Now, if you are a creative, my book recommendation for you is a book called Art Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory. This came out a while ago, and actually Danny Gregory was a keynote presenter at an old NOW Conference, and he was fantastic. Took us inside his New York City apartment, talked us through his creative day and all of the creative endeavors that he went through throughout the day. And that’s kind of what this book is about, just helping you incorporate creativity into your daily routine. And so, there’s some stuff for beginners, but a lot of the exercise, a lot of the ideas are valid for experienced artists like us, and it really shows you how to find joy in creating every day.

So there’s some humor, there’s some good anecdotes, there are artistic exercises as well. And so, even if you’re just taking a few minutes to draw or sketch or paint or do those things each day, it really helps you get into the idea of being an artist, of being a creative for the break. So getting into those habits is a great thing that you can do while you’re away from school. And I think this book can be motivating. It can give you a little push to, I guess, nurture your creativity, for lack of a better phrase. So just finding a few moments to create can be really worthwhile, and I think that’s good. So again, that is called Art Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory.

All right, and then two close things out, I had a few ideas of just what different artists, like famous artists would be doing over their break. So I decided to research just a few famous artists. I thought I could find some anecdotes. So just a few for you. Claude Monet in the wintertime, he really liked painting snowy landscapes. That’s probably not a surprise for anybody who knows Monet, but all around Giverny, just seeing how light was affecting the snow or highlighting the frost in the landscape. He loved painting. He’s definitely a creative.

Okay, Georgia O’Keeffe, she was more of a relaxation specialist. She loves nature. If you know anything about Georgia O’Keeffe, you know that she loves nature. She loved to find quiet and solitude. And a lot of times over the holidays, she would just kind of be exploring the deserts. When she was living in New Mexico, she would just kind of explore what was out there, explore nature, and that would kind of inspire some of her paintings, but she loved to get away from things and relax over the holidays.

All right, Frida Kahlo. Again, if you know her, you’re probably not surprised. Lively parties from Frida Kahlo. She loved getting people together, lots of music, lots of conversation, lots of art. So Casa Azul, her home, she’s creating a ton of vibrant work and just creating a vibrant environment for everyone to sort of embrace that joy of the holidays, embrace that creativity.

All right, van Gogh. He spent a lot of the holidays writing letters to his brother Theo. Again, not surprising. But he’d spent a lot of time kind of reflecting on artistic goals. He would be creating a lot of sketches, sending those to Theo. So he seems more of an overachiever, just still writing, still working, still going through things over the holidays. So maybe it’s creative, maybe it’s overachiever, maybe it’s a mix of both.

And then I thought about Dali as well. And of course when it comes to the holidays, Dali’s going surreal. That should not surprise you, either. He would design super eccentric, super elaborate decorations for his home. He would do illustrations, like he would be creative with his work, doing some holiday-themed illustrations and creating some really fun stuff when he was on his holidays. So just a few fun thoughts that I thought I could add to the discussion of what some different artists liked to do over their holidays.

Now, as we wrap things up here, like I said, quick episode, a few reminders for you. We’re going to continue this discussion of what kind of winter break art teacher are you. We’re going to continue that over on the Art of Ed Community. So make sure you come join us, come be part of that discussion and get ready for Art Club at the beginning of January. And if you’re not part of the community yet, community.theartofeducation.edu. We also put it in the show notes. Come join us there. It’s going to be awesome. Next two weeks, we’ll not have anything in the podcast feed. So no episode on the 24th, no episode on the 31st, but Amanda and I will be back January 7th with our mailbag for January.

And then finally, one thing going on over break, the NOW Conference. We have a December 31st deadline for $20 off the NOW Conference registration. So if you’re thinking, oh, I need to sign up for the NOW Conference, I haven’t done that yet, we want you to do that. Do it before the end of the month here in December and you can save $20 off the regular price of the NOW Conference.

All right, congratulations, everyone, on making it to winter break or almost making it to winter break. I know we’re close, but you have put in a semester of dedication and your creativity and your hard work as a teacher have made an impact. We know that you have put a lot into your classroom, and now that we’re going into break, it is time to do something for yourself. So whether you’re planning to relax and recharge, whether you’re going to dive into some personal projects or spend some quality time with the people you love, just remember that you have earned every single minute of this break. So celebrate the season, celebrate yourself in whatever way feels best for you because you deserve it. So a big thank you for everything that you do. So just enjoy this time to the fullest, enjoy your break as much as you can, and know that you are appreciated and know that you are valued.

Art Ed Radio is produced by the Art of Education University with audio engineering from Michael Crocker. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast so we can join you again. And if you love the show, please jump over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify, wherever you listen. Give us a five-star rating and leave us a review. Now, I also said in the episode, we are taking questions for the January mailbag. If you have any questions about what to do after break, how to start a new semester, how to reset your classes after break, anything else along those lines, we would love to hear them. Email timothybogatz@theartofeducation.edu or podcasts@theartofeducation.edu with any questions you may have. We are looking forward to reading them and possibly answering them on our next episode.